Revolutionary Turns

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Exploring the dynamic interplay between religion and revolution in the founding era

Religion lies at the heart of how many Americans understand the birth of their nation, giving rise to passionate calls for national unity and principled struggles for religious freedom. For the first time in thirty years, scholars of the founding era have joined together to reassess this central topic for our present moment. From fast-day proclamations to wartime crises of conscience, from Americans caught between multiple political interests to citizens of the new republic trying to reconcile revivalistic faith with the voices of the Enlightenment, the historians gathered here address timeless topics and open new terrain. Together, they present a world in which Americans of many faiths responded to new challenges and unprecedented situations.

This fascinating portrait of religion in the Revolutionary era takes readers through topics as varied as the circulation of radical theological manuscripts in New England to the ways that the Revolutionary generation demanded more religious protections in their new governing documents. It examines the complex relationship between freedom, emancipation, and religion within and across new borders, elucidating the complex relationship between religion, revolution, and the new United States.