I ran into an interesting response to a post earlier today. The topic itself wasn’t very impactful. This one response caught my eye and my interest, and prompts the question, is the USA Christian or Not. Did you know that John Adams, the second president of these United States, said that the US was NOT a nation founded on the Christian Religion? It’s always been a conflict for me because according to the other founders, Christianity’s influence is the bedrock of our nation’s morality. That was the response that triggered my “what was that” reaction. I hadn’t thought about that since an old argument with an atheist acquaintance. I did not walk away from that talk thinking I’d made an impact.
So, who has it right?
Christian or not
The quote comes from Article 11 of the Treaty of Tripoli, signed into law by President John Adams in 1797.
The exact phrasing in the official treaty text reads:
“As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquility, of Mussulmen [Muslims]… it is declared by the parties, that no pretext arising from religious opinions, shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.”
Historical Context
- Protecting American Shipping: In the late 1790s, the newly independent United States no longer had the protection of the British Royal Navy. American merchant ships in the Mediterranean were frequently attacked, captured, and ransomed by Barbary pirates operating out of North African Ottoman provinces (Tripoli, Tunis, and Algiers).
- Reassuring a Muslim Power: The clause was inserted, likely drafted by diplomat Joel Barlow during negotiations negotiated under George Washington’s administration, to explicitly reassure the Pasha of Tripoli that the United States was a secular civil government rather than a European Christian nation intent on a crusade or religious conflict.
- Unanimous Approval:President Adams submitted the treaty to the U.S. Senate, which ratified it unanimously without debate on June 7, 1797. Adams officially signed and proclaimed the treaty to the nation three days later.
While Adams personally held deep moral and religious beliefs, the statement was used in a formal geopolitical context to define the federal government’s constitutional foundation as distinct from state-sponsored religion.
Christian or not
However, historians generally view this not as a direct contradiction, but as a reflection of how the Founders distinguished between the legal/institutional structure of the federal government and the moral/cultural foundations of American society.
- 1. The Legal Structure vs. Cultural Influence – Christian or not
When Founders spoke of America having Christian roots or being a Christian nation, they were typically describing the population’s heritage, culture, and shared moral framework rather than the legal status of the federal government:
- John Marshall(Supreme Court Chief Justice) noted that “The American population is entirely Christian, and with us Christianity and Religion are identified”, emphasizing demographic and cultural reality rather than constitutional mandate.
- Patrick Henry famously argued that America was founded “not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ,” reflecting the perspective of traditional, devout Christians among the Founders who wanted explicit recognition of faith.
- 2. The Role of Morality and Virtue in a Republic – Christian or not
Many Founders believed a republic could only survive if its citizens were moral, and that Christianity provided the best framework for that morality:
- John Adams himselfwrote in 1798: “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”
- George Washingtonstated in his Farewell Address: “Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports.”
- Benjamin Rushwrote: “Christianity is the only true and perfect religion, and that in proportion as mankind adopt its principles… they will be wise, and happy.”
These quotes do not claim the federal government was a Christian entity, but rather that the success of the free republic relied on a religious and virtuous populace.
- 3. Separation of Church and State (The Enlightenment View) – Christian or not
Other Founders, particularly Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, strongly agreed with the spirit of Adams’s Treaty of Tripoli declaration, opposing any established national religion or theological basis for federal power:
- Thomas Jefferson famously advocated for a “wall of separation between Church & State” and was critical of organized religious dogma, believing the state should remain entirely secular to protect religious freedom.
- James Madisonargued in his Memorial and Remonstrance against state-sponsored religion, noting that legal establishments of Christianity had historically produced “pride and indolence in the clergy; ignorance and servility in laity.”
How Historians Reconcile the Difference – Christian or not
| Dimension | The Treaty of Tripoli Statement | Statements on Christian Roots |
| Focus | Legal & Civil Governance | Culture, Morality & Society |
| Meaning | The U.S. government has no official state religion, no religious tests, and no divine-right authority. | The American people are predominantly Christian, and Christian ethics inform public virtue. |
| Target Audience | Foreign powers (reassuring non-Christian nations in diplomacy). | Domestic citizens (encouraging civic virtue and moral responsibility). |
Rather than a contradiction, the Treaty of Tripoli quote explicitly defined the constitutional scope of the federal government, while quotes emphasizing Christian roots described the cultural and ethical character of the American people at the time.
Christian or not
Popi sends…
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