A History of American Christianity

Written in the late 19th century by a Yale-trained historian and clergyman, this ambitious volume traces the arc of Christianity in America from Columbus's landing through the colonial era and beyond. Bacon argues that the discovery of the New World occurred at a providential moment: just as spiritual reform was sweeping Spain and the Catholic Church was awakening from its medieval slumber, thereby ensuring that Christianity arrived in America free from the worst corruptions that had plagued the old world. The book examines the competing missionary strategies of Spanish, French, and English colonizers, revealing how faith became inseparable from empire, politics, and cultural conquest. Bacon's prose reflects the assumptions of his era, yet his insistence on examining the messy interplay of religious zeal, economic ambition, and political power makes this a useful window into both American religious origins and Victorian historiography. For readers interested in understanding how the nation that would become the United States was spiritually forged, and how Christianity was adapted, contested, and transformed from the moment of contact onward.