What do you know about the founding of America? Ask that question today, and you’re likely to hear more about our nation’s faults than its foundations. It’s true—our country’s beginnings were imperfect. Some of the same leaders who championed liberty also tolerated or participated in the injustice of slavery. That contradiction is painful to acknowledge.
But it’s also true that many early Americans—including many of the Founders—were shaped by biblical conviction and recognized slavery as a moral evil, prompting some to begin working toward its abolition from the very start. Even as the Founders struggled to unify thirteen colonies around independence, efforts to end the slave trade were already underway. Several northern states passed gradual emancipation laws before the 19th century began, and Christian voices were at the forefront of that movement.
We understand moral complexity in our own lives. If a husband is unfaithful but repents and humbly seeks to rebuild his marriage, we don’t define him only by his failure—we celebrate the grace of restoration. The healing doesn’t erase the wrong, but it honors the greater story of redemption. The same is true in history. Christians should be the first to tell the truth about sin—and the first to rejoice when God brings correction and renewal.
To judge the 18th century solely by modern standards is to miss the greater story—how God, in His mercy, used flawed men to lay the groundwork for a nation built on freedom, including the freedom to worship Him.
This Fourth of July, we would do well to remember that America’s spiritual heritage is worth celebrating. Our Founders didn’t create a theocracy, but they did build this country on Judeo-Christian principles—and we are still reaping the benefits.
- The Pilgrims came here to be free to worship Jesus Christ.
The government of Great Britain recognized only one church—the Church of England. Those who dissented from Anglicanism were persecuted. The Pilgrims left their homeland, packed their belongings into a few trunks, boarded small ships, and crossed the Atlantic to a new world full of uncertainty… and opportunity.
Those young men and women loved God enough to take the risk. Many died. But they wanted to start over in a land where they could worship God freely and according to conscience.
The Puritans were known for their rigor and seriousness. While some of their practices went too far, no one can deny that those early settlers were deeply committed to honoring God—and that He honored their dedication.
- The first universities were established to advance the gospel.
Harvard was established in 1636 to train clergy. Its founding purpose stated:
“Every student’s main end is to know God and Jesus Christ, and to see Christ as the foundation of learning. They must read Scripture twice a day and be ready to give account.”
Yale was founded in 1701 and likewise acknowledged God as the source of all wisdom. Students were required to attend public prayer morning and evening.
Princeton, founded in 1746, became the training ground for 87 of our Founding Fathers. One of its guiding principles included this quote:
“Cursed be all learning that is contrary to the cause of Christ.”
Amazingly, 106 of the first 108 colleges in America were started by the church.
- One of the battle cries of the Revolutionary War was “No King but King Jesus.”
In his book Excused Absence, Pastor Douglas Wilson notes that “No King but King Jesus” was a rallying cry during the Revolutionary War.
This is seldom taught in American history classes these days, yet that declaration captured the spirit of patriots who risked everything to resist tyranny.
Many were tortured, murdered, had their property seized, their homes looted and burned, and their sons killed in battle. They were not just fighting for independence—they were fighting for Christian freedom.
- The Constitution was shaped following a solemn appeal to God.
In the summer of 1787, America’s Founding Fathers gathered in Philadelphia to draft the Constitution. The task was grueling. Disagreements mounted, and tempers flared—some delegates even left in frustration.
Then, on June 28, Benjamin Franklin—who was not known for evangelical faith—rose and spoke:
“I have lived, sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth: that God governs in the affairs of men.… If a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid?”
National Archives Source
He called for a pause and an appeal to heaven.
Though formal prayer wasn’t officially adopted, that solemn appeal led many delegates to attend church services, fast, and seek God’s guidance. The result was the U.S. Constitution—often hailed as the most remarkable legal document in human history.
- Many of America’s Founding Fathers issued strong statements acknowledging their belief in the power and sovereignty of God.
John Witherspoon
“Whoever is an avowed enemy to God, I scruple not to call him an enemy to his country.”
— The Dominion of Providence over the Passions of Men (1776)
Read here
John Adams
“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”
— Letter to the Massachusetts Militia, October 11, 1798
National Archives Source
Thomas Jefferson
“God who gave us life gave us liberty. Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed a conviction that these liberties are the gift of God?… I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that His justice cannot sleep forever.”
— Notes on the State of Virginia (1781), Query XVIII
Library of Congress
John Jay
“Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers. It is the duty as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers.”
— Letter to Jedidiah Morse, Feb. 28, 1797
Read here
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- The first education system was based on the conviction that the Bible is the source of truth.
In 1832, Noah Webster—patriot, educator, and author of the first American dictionary—wrote:
“The religion which has introduced civil liberty is the religion of Christ and His apostles… This is genuine Christianity, and to this we owe our free constitutions of government.”
From Webster’s History of the United States (1832)
This was not an isolated opinion. From the colonial era through the 19th century, American education was steeped in biblical instruction. The most widely used textbook for nearly 200 years was The New England Primer, printed as early as 1690 and still in use into the early 20th century.
It included Bible questions such as:
- Who was the first man?
- Who was the first woman?
- Who was the first murderer?
- Who was the first Christian martyr?
It introduced students to the Westminster Shorter Catechism:
- What is the chief end of man?
(Answer: To glorify God and enjoy Him forever.) - How many persons are there in the Godhead?
- How did God create man?
(Answer: God created man male and female, after His own image in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, with dominion over the creatures.)
Even the alphabet was taught with Scripture:
- A — “A wise son maketh a glad father.”
- B — “Better is a little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble therewith.”
- C — “Come unto Christ, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and He will give you rest.”
From its earliest days, American education was not merely about literacy or civic knowledge. It was about moral formation rooted in the truth of God’s Word.
Preachers, this week is July 4th.
Take the opportunity to remind your congregation that it’s not wrong to express gratitude for your country. What’s dangerous is forgetting the God who blessed it.
Some fear crossing into “Christian nationalism.” I’m more concerned about Christian amnesia—forgetting where we came from and failing to give thanks for the blessings we’ve received.
“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance.” (Psalm 33:12)
“Restore us to yourself, Lord, that we may return; renew our days as of old unless you have utterly rejected us and are angry with us beyond measure.” (Lamentations 5:21–22)
Don’t bend the knee to scoffers or critics who would rob us of a spirit of gratitude. It’s right to acknowledge the godly convictions behind much of this country’s founding and to celebrate the blessings of America.
That doesn’t make you a Christian nationalist. It makes you a Christian who leads with humble gratitude to the Most High.
May we continue to say, “No King but King Jesus!”—boasting only in Him and giving thanks to the One whose sovereign hand was called upon from our nation’s beginning
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Bob Russell is Retired Senior Minister of Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, KY.