Church Was Huge Part of Life in 19th-Century America

Some voices today like to downplay any role of religion in America's history. Yet there is much that is undeniably religious in the lives of our Founders and the generations after them. Here is a snippet from the U.S. National Archives:

"Readers will be able to consider the primary role that Christianity assumed in the life of frontier villages and families, including that of Jane Addams, and to investigate the influence of American Protestantism during the last half of the 19th century. Much of the activity associated with village life centered on churches, their activities, and the moral values associated with their religious teachings. It will also be possible to investigate life in a small, developing, frontier village, and to learn of the families with which the Addams family and Jane interacted, the village organizations, institutions, and activities that were available, and the community s relationship to the surrounding area with its larger communities, businesses, and farmlands."

From the National Archives publication Annotation, by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission, Vol. 31.2, June 2003, starting on page 7.