Faith and Freedom

In the aftermath of independence, the American branch of the Church of England faced an identity crisis. The head of the Anglican Church, after all, was the King of England. So what were the faithful Anglicans to do? Make their own American prayer book, of course. In this full-length podcast episode, we explore a set of prayer books belonging to Martha Washington and her granddaughters. Classroom resource specialist Jennifer Seiter explains what this Washington family heirloom can reveal about the sweeping religious changes happening in the United States during the early Republic and George Washington’s own commitment to religious freedom.