Episode 134: Spencer McBride, Pulpit and Nation: Clergymen and the Politics of Revolutionary America

by Liz CovartMay 16, 2017

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In Colonial America, clergymen stood as thought leaders in their local communities. They stood at the head of their congregations and many community members looked to them for knowledge and insight about the world around them.

So what happened to these trusted, educated men during the American Revolution? How did they choose their political allegiances? And what work did they undertake to aid or hinder the revolutionary cause?

Spencer McBride, an editor at the Joseph Smith Papers documentary editing project, joins us to explore some of the ways politics and religion intersected during the American Revolution with details from his book, Pulpit and Nation: Clergymen and the Politics of Revolutionary America.

About the Show

Ben Franklin’s World is a podcast about early American history.

It is a show for people who love history and for those who want to know more about the historical people and events that have impacted and shaped our present-day world.

Each episode features a conversation with a historian who helps us shed light on important people and events in early American history.

Episode Summary

Spencer McBride, an editor at the Joseph Smith Papers documentary editing project and author of Pulpit and Nation: Clergymen and the Politics of Revolutionary America, joins us to explore some of the ways politics and religion intersected during the American Revolution.

During our exploration, Spencer reveals how clergymen participated in politics before the Revolution; How clergymen participated in politics during and after the Revolution; And, what early Americans thought about the participation of clergymen in politics.

What You’ll Discover

How American clergymen participated in politics prior to the American Revolution
Clergymen and political officeholding in colonial British America
How the Revolution changed the way American clergymen participated in politics
The Continental Congress and fast days
The role of chaplains in the Continental Congress and Continental Army
How clergymen dealt with the need to choose a political side during the Revolution
The participation of clergy in the ratification debates over the Constitution of 1787
The myth that the President of the United States needs to be a Christian
What early Americans thought about the participation of clergymen in politics after the Revolution
Why Spencer thinks religion tainted early American politics

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Time Warp Question

In your opinion, what might have happened if Congress had not asked and encouraged clergymen to play a role in the American Revolution? How would the lack of fast days and army chaplains have affected the outcome of the American Revolution and its War for Independence?