The text of the First Amendment begins with the words: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.
The variety of faiths in the U.S. is broad, and as our society becomes more diverse — including with regard to religions — we may be under the impression that it wasn’t the case in the early days of the country.
But the new book and related Smithsonian exhibition "Objects of Devotion: Religion in Early America" illustrates how much religious faith has touched Americans.
We talked with Peter Manseau, who wrote the book. He is also curator of American Religious History at the National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian.
