A unique collection of original letters, family Bibles, and artifacts from the founding era provides new insights into the significance of Scripture during the formation of the United States. This collection is displayed at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., as part of a new exhibit celebrating America’s 250th anniversary. The exhibit examines the influence of Scripture on the country’s early years through various historical documents and objects.
The collection includes the first Bible printed in English in America, family Bibles owned by several founding fathers and other notable figures, and an original letter from Thomas Jefferson regarding religious freedom. These items collectively demonstrate how biblical language permeated conversations about liberty, education, and public life during the nation’s founding era.
Anthony Schmidt, the museum’s director of collections and curatorial, noted the use of primary sources to analyze the Bible’s impact on early American history. He stated, “The Bible has been an integral part of this nation’s founding and history. That’s not a theological claim; it’s what the documents show. The founding fathers referenced Scripture, argued from it, and built political frameworks on its language about human dignity and liberty.”
One section of the exhibit highlights the presence of Scripture in everyday life during America’s early years. It displays the first English-printed Bible alongside family Bibles from founding fathers and other historical figures. Schmidt emphasized the deliberate selection of objects to tell what he described as the most complete story possible about the Bible’s influence on America’s founding generation.
Another section of the exhibit explores faith and government through Jefferson’s writings about religious liberty and early publications advocating resistance to tyranny. Visitors can also examine Revolutionary-era materials that helped unite the colonies, documents reflecting early Jewish civic life in America, portraits of George Washington and other figures from the colonial era, a hand-colored lithograph commemorating Abraham Lincoln, and busts of George Washington and Benjamin Franklin.
The collection aims to encourage visitors to directly engage with original historical documents. Schmidt remarked, “We want visitors to encounter the history of this country and see, in the primary documents, what impact the Bible actually had on the people who built it.” He acknowledged that while the founding fathers often disagreed on religious matters, the historical record shows they were influenced by the Bible’s language and ideas.
Schmidt concluded, “Many of the founders disagreed about religion, and disagreed sharply, but they were still shaped by the Bible’s language and arguments. We want people to engage with that evidence and come to their own conclusions.”
Kelly McGreal is a production assistant with the lifestyle team at Fox News Digital.