Congratulations to Liz Covart, creator of Ben Franklin’s World! The landmark early American history podcast sponsored by the Omohundro Institute launched its 300th episode last month. Liz recently asked past contributors to reflect on the following question: “What is the one aspect of early American history you wish people better understood? And why?”
Here’s my contribution, which comes at the very end of a fascinating lineup of short statements by nearly three dozen early American historians:
Here’s one thing I wish people better understood about early American history: religion was a difference-maker.
What do I mean by this? Two things. First, religion mattered to all people in #vast early America. Whether free or indentured Euro-Americans, enslaved African Americans, or sovereign Native Americans—religious institutions, beliefs, and practices, shaped their worldviews, work routines, interpersonal relations, politics, laws, economic practices, and private writings.
But more than that, religion was a difference-maker in that it also differentiated people from one another. Early American religions created divisions, clarified racial categories, fragmented communities, fomented violence, galvanized warfare.
We talked about the centrifugal pull of early American evangelicalism in Episode 182. My book, Darkness Falls on the Land of Light, was published on Inauguration Day in 2017. Since then, I think we’ve learned a lot about the powerful ways religion divides people. Historians of religion in early America have an important role to play in reminding all of us of the potentials and dangers of such difference-making cultural practices.
Congratulations on the 300th episode of Ben Franklin’s World! Can’t wait to see what’s ahead!
