The Original 13: A Documentary History of Religion in America's First Thirteen States

by William J. Federer

"The whole power over the subject of religion is left exclusively to the State governments, to be acted upon according to their justice and the State Constitutions," wrote Supreme Court Justice Joseph Story in his Commentaries on the Constitution of the United States, 1833. Who was Joseph Story? He was the founder of Harvard Law School and appointed to the Supreme Court by President James Madison - the same James Madison who introduced the First Amendment in the first session of Congress. To understand the progression of religious freedom in America, it is necessary to review the Constitutions of the original thirteen States, together with the Colonial Charters that preceded them, VIRGINIA CHARTER OF KING JAMES I, 1606 "...propagating of Christian Religion to such People as yet live in Darkness..." DELAWARE CHARTER OF KING ADOLPHUS, 1626 "...further propagation of the Holy Gospel..." MASSACHUSETTS CONSTITUTION, 1780, Part 1, Article 3 "Every denomination of Christians...shall be equally under the protection of the law and no subordination of any one sect or denomination to another shall ever be established..." PENNSYLVANIA CONSTITUTION, 1968, Article 1, Section 3 "All men have a natural and indefeasible right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their own consciences..." NORTH CAROLINA CONSTITUTION, 1971, Article 11, Section 4 "Beneficent provision for the poor, the unfortunate, and the orphan is one of the first duties of a civilized and a Christian state..." Examining Charters, Constitutions, Court Decisions and Correspondence, this overview of history is intended as a study help for those interested in discovering the role religion played in America's original thirteen States. The process of how the Federal Courts removed religion from States' jurisdiction, most notably in the 1947 Everson v. Board of Education case, and subsequently evolved it into its present interpretation is the subject of another book.

Genres: History

414 pages, Paperback

First published October 24, 2006

About the author

William J. Federer is a nationally recognized speaker, best-selling author, and president of Amerisearch, Inc., a publishing company focused on America's heritage. His "American Minute" radio feature airs daily nationwide, and his television program "Faith in History" broadcasts on the TCT Network and DirecTV.
A former U.S. Congressional candidate, Bill has appeared on major media outlets such as CSPAN, FOX, NPR, TBN, MSNBC, NewsMax, OAN, and Real America's Voice. He has been featured on shows like Hannity, The O’Reilly Factor, The Eric Metaxas Show, Prager U, and others. On radio, he has been interviewed by Focus on the Family, Salem Radio Network, USA Radio Network, and numerous other programs.
Bill’s writing has been quoted in USA Today, The New York Times, Washington Times, Washington Post, and WorldNetDaily, among others. His book America's God and Country Encyclopedia of Quotations has sold over half a million copies and remains widely cited. Other titles by Bill include Change to Chains, Socialism: The Real History from Plato to the Present, The Ten Commandments and Their Influence on American Law, George Washington Carver: His Life & Faith In His Own Words, and What Every American Needs to Know About the Qur'an.
Bill has spoken extensively across the U.S. at political conventions, military bases, universities, high schools, churches, and national landmarks like Mount Rushmore and the Lincoln Memorial. His audiences have included Congress members, military officers, students, and civic organizations.
Honored for his contributions to history and public service, Bill has received an Honorary Doctorate of Humanities from American Christian College and an Honorary Doctorate of Global Leadership from Midwest University. Other awards include the George Washington Honor Medal by the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge and the National Association of Christian Lawmakers' Lifetime Achievement Award.
Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Bill graduated from St. Louis University High School and earned his business degree from St. Louis University. He is the fifth of eleven children and married his wife Susie in 1981. Bill has worked in real estate, oil & gas, and religious organizations and is an original signer of the Manhattan Declaration.
In politics, Bill’s Congressional campaigns in 2000 and 2004 were notable. Running against Minority Leader Dick Gephardt, Bill mounted one of the most expensive and closely watched races in the nation, setting voting records for a Republican in Missouri’s 3rd District.