Student Name:
Date Started:
RECEIVE (read), REFLECT (answer), RECALL (close book, write from memory), RECITE (teach someone), REVIEW (spaced repetition), RESPOND (apply).
"Blessed is the nation whose Elohim is Yahuah." — Psalm 33:12
The Declaration of Independence (July 4, 1776) contains precisely four references to a divine being:
The U.S. Constitution (September 17, 1787) contains NO reference to God, Jesus Christ, or Christianity in its operative text.
Revolutionary context: When the Constitution was ratified, nine of thirteen states still required religious tests for office. The federal prohibition set a new standard.
Critical context: The First Amendment originally applied ONLY to the federal government. Massachusetts maintained its Congregationalist establishment until 1833—the last state to disestablish.
1. The Declaration of Independence contains exactly references to a divine being.
2. The U.S. Constitution contains references to God or Jesus Christ.
3. Article VI states that no religious shall ever be required for office.
4. When the Constitution was ratified, of thirteen states still required religious tests.
5. The last state to disestablish its church was in 1833.
Read the Declaration of Independence and list the four references to a divine being:
"Blessed is the nation whose Elohim is Yahuah; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance."
Close this workbook. Write from memory: (1) The four divine references in the Declaration, (2) What the Constitution says about God, (3) What Article VI, Clause 3 prohibits.
Explain to someone the difference between the Declaration's God references and the Constitution's silence on religion.
Person I taught:
| Fact | Evidence |
|---|---|
| Served as vestryman | Truro Parish (1762-1784), attended 23 of 35 vestry meetings |
| Church attendance | Diaries show approximately once monthly |
| Did not take communion | Multiple witnesses confirm he left before communion after the Revolution |
| Never mentioned "Jesus Christ" by name | Not found in verified writings |
| Used deistic terms | "Providence," "Grand Architect," "Supreme Being" |
1. Washington said "Religion and are indispensable supports" in his Farewell Address.
2. The quote "impossible to rightly govern without God and the Bible" is listed as by Mount Vernon.
3. Washington left church before after the Revolutionary War.
4. Washington used terms like "Providence" and "Grand " for God.
5. Historians classify Washington as a "theistic " or "warm Deist."
For each quote, identify if VERIFIED or FABRICATED:
Why is it important to verify quotes before using them, even when they support our beliefs?
"Lying lips are abomination to Yahuah: but they that deal truly are his delight."
Close this workbook. Write from memory: (1) Washington's verified quote about religion and morality, (2) The fabricated "Bible" quote, (3) Evidence that Washington may not have been orthodox.
Explain to someone why the "impossible to govern without God and Bible" quote should NOT be attributed to Washington.
Person I taught:
Adams' beliefs: Raised Congregationalist, rejected Calvinist doctrines and the Trinity, became a Unitarian. Called himself "a church going animal."
| Founder | Classification | Key Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| George Washington | Theistic Rationalist | Avoided communion, used deistic terms |
| John Adams | Unitarian | Rejected Trinity, valued religion for society |
| Thomas Jefferson | Deist | Jefferson Bible removed miracles |
| Benjamin Franklin | Deist/Theist | Doubted Christ's divinity |
| Patrick Henry | Orthodox Christian | Explicit faith statements in will |
| Samuel Adams | Orthodox Christian | Devout Congregationalist |
1. John Adams said our Constitution was made only for a moral and people.
2. Jefferson created the "Jefferson " by removing miracles from the Gospels.
3. Franklin wrote that he had "some " about Christ's divinity.
4. Patrick Henry's will stated that the religion of could make his family rich.
5. John Adams became a , rejecting the Trinity.
How should Christians respond to the fact that some founders held unorthodox religious views? Does this affect how we should view America's founding?
"Study to shew thyself approved unto Elohim, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
Close this workbook. Write from memory: (1) Adams' verified quote about moral and religious people, (2) What Jefferson did to the Gospels, (3) Which founders were orthodox Christians.
Explain to someone the range of religious beliefs among the Founders, from Deist to orthodox Christian.
Person I taught:
While the federal Constitution prohibited religious tests, original STATE constitutions tell a very different story.
| State | Original Requirement | Year Removed |
|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | Belief in Scripture | 1790 |
| Delaware | Trinitarian oath | 1792 |
| North Carolina | Protestant requirement | 1789 (changed to "Christian") |
| Massachusetts | Christian declaration | 1833 |
| Maryland | Belief in God | 1961 (Supreme Court) |
1. Delaware required a oath (belief in Father, Son, Holy Ghost).
2. North Carolina originally limited office to only.
3. Massachusetts was the last state to disestablish its church in .
4. Maryland's requirement wasn't removed until the struck it down in 1961.
5. The federal government was by design, while states maintained religious tests.
Why do you think the federal government prohibited religious tests while states maintained them? What might this tell us about the founders' intentions?
"So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty."
Close this workbook. Write from memory: (1) What Delaware's Trinitarian oath required, (2) Which states had Protestant-only requirements, (3) When the last state religious requirement was removed.
Explain to someone the difference between federal and state approaches to religion in early America.
Person I taught:
The Great Awakening (1730s-1740s) was a massive religious revival that swept through the American colonies. Key preachers:
| Effect | How It Influenced Revolution |
|---|---|
| Individual liberty emphasis | Personal relationship with God led to questioning traditional authority |
| Questioning of authority | If church hierarchy could be questioned, so could political hierarchy |
| Unity across colonies | Shared religious experience created inter-colonial bonds |
| Common man empowerment | Gospel preached to all classes equally |
1. The Great Awakening occurred during the s and 1740s.
2. George preached to crowds of 80,000+ colonists.
3. The Awakening emphasized individual with God.
4. Harry Hosier, called "Black Harry," was a preacher who influenced thousands.
5. The Awakening created across the colonies through shared religious experience.
How did questioning religious authority help prepare colonists to question political authority?
"If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed."
Close this workbook. Write from memory: (1) The three main Great Awakening preachers, (2) How the Awakening prepared colonists for Revolution, (3) The dates of the Great Awakening.
Explain to someone how the Great Awakening influenced the American Revolution.
Person I taught:
British called colonial clergy the "Black Regiment" because preachers wore black robes and were influential supporters of revolution. They:
| Group | Approximate Support |
|---|---|
| Patriots (supported revolution) | ~40-45% |
| Loyalists (opposed revolution) | ~15-20% |
| Neutral/undecided | ~35-45% |
Note: About 2/3 of colonists who took a position supported revolution. Church attendance correlated with higher patriot support.
1. British called colonial clergy the " Regiment."
2. Clergy debated 13 about when to obey or resist government.
3. The Declaration claims rights come from the , not the king.
4. About % of colonists were Patriots who supported revolution.
5. Election day promoted resistance theology.
When is resistance to government justified according to biblical principles? How did colonists answer this question?
"Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey Elohim rather than men."
Close this workbook. Write from memory: (1) Why clergy were called the "Black Regiment," (2) What Romans 13 debate was about, (3) Percentages of Patriots vs. Loyalists.
Explain to someone how colonial preachers used the Bible to justify revolution against tyranny.
Person I taught:
| Denomination | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Congregationalist | ~20% |
| Presbyterian | ~19% |
| Baptist | ~17% |
| Anglican/Episcopal | ~16% |
| Other (Quaker, Lutheran, Reformed, etc.) | ~28% |
| Region | Church Affiliation | Dominant Tradition |
|---|---|---|
| New England | ~85%+ | Congregationalist (Puritan legacy) |
| Middle Colonies | ~65% | Religious diversity |
| Southern Colonies | ~60% | Anglican (often nominal) |
1. Approximately % of the colonial population was affiliated with churches.
2. The largest denomination was at about 20%.
3. New England had the highest church affiliation at %+.
4. The Southern colonies were dominated by the church.
5. Church affiliation does not necessarily equal personal .
"Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."
Close this workbook. Write from memory: (1) The percentage of church affiliation in 1776, (2) The four largest denominations, (3) The difference between church affiliation and salvation.
Explain to someone the religious demographics of colonial America and what they do/don't prove.
Person I taught:
| Claim | Accurate Assessment |
|---|---|
| American culture was Christian | TRUE - 75% church affiliation, Christian values dominant |
| Federal government was secular | TRUE - No religious tests, no establishment |
| All founders were Christians | FALSE - Range from orthodox to Deist |
| All founders were Deists | FALSE - Many were orthodox Christians |
| State governments were secular | FALSE - Many had religious establishments |
1. American CULTURE was largely , but the federal government was secular.
2. The Treaty of Tripoli says America was "not in any sense founded on the Religion."
3. The founders were religiously , ranging from orthodox to Deist.
4. State governments often had religious unlike the federal government.
5. The phrase "separation of church and state" comes from Jefferson's , not the Constitution.
After studying the primary sources, how would YOU describe America's religious founding? What nuances are important to include?
"And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
Close this workbook. Write from memory: (1) The balanced assessment of "Christian nation" claim, (2) What the Treaty of Tripoli says, (3) Three verified vs. fabricated facts about the Founders.
Explain to someone the nuanced truth about America's religious founding—avoiding both extremes.
Person I taught:
| Lesson | Done | D1 | D3 | D7 | D21 | D60 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Founding Documents | ||||||
| 2. Founders' Beliefs | ||||||
| 3. Colonial Charters | ||||||
| 4. Education History | ||||||
| 5. First Amendment | ||||||
| 6. Court Decisions | ||||||
| 7. Revivals Impact | ||||||
| 8. Church & State |
Fill-in-the-Blank: 1. four 2. zero/no 3. test 4. nine 5. Massachusetts
True/False: 1. False 2. False
Fill-in-the-Blank: 1. morality 2. spurious/fabricated 3. communion 4. Architect 5. rationalist
Quote Verification: 1. Verified 2. Fabricated
Fill-in-the-Blank: 1. religious 2. Bible 3. Doubts 4. Christ 5. Unitarian
Fill-in-the-Blank: 1. Trinitarian 2. Protestants 3. 1833 4. Supreme Court 5. secular
True/False: 1. False 2. True
Fill-in-the-Blank: 1. 1730 2. Whitefield 3. relationship 4. Black 5. unity
Fill-in-the-Blank: 1. Black 2. Romans 3. Creator 4. 40-45 5. sermons
Fill-in-the-Blank: 1. 75 2. Congregationalist 3. 85 4. Anglican 5. salvation
True/False: 1. False 2. True
Fill-in-the-Blank: 1. Christian 2. Christian 3. diverse 4. establishments 5. letter