Historic Bible and Founders' Letters Highlight Faith's Impact on America
WHO:
NY Post - The collection includes original letters, family Bibles, and founding-era artifacts.
Fox News - Dr. Kevin Butterfield is the Acting Chief of the Library of Congress.
Fox News - Anthony Schmidt is the museum's director of collections and curatorial.
WHAT:
Fox News - A 1790 letter from Bishop John Carroll to George Washington sought reassurance that Catholics would be equal citizens in the new American republic.
Fox News - The collection includes Revolutionary-era printed materials that helped unify the colonies, documents tracing early Jewish civic life in America, portraits of George Washington and other colonial-era figures, a hand-colored lithograph memorializing Abraham Lincoln, and busts of George Washington and Benjamin Franklin.
NY Post - The collection offers new insight into the role Scripture played during the nation's founding.
Fox News - The artifacts are on display at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C.
Fox News - The collection marks America's 250th anniversary and examines how Scripture influenced the country's earliest years.
Fox News - Featured items include the first Bible printed in English in America, family Bibles of several founding fathers, and an original Thomas Jefferson letter on religious freedom.
Fox News - The collection aims to show the Bible's impact on religious life, early American art, education, and politics.
WHERE:
NY Post - The artifacts are displayed at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C.
WHY:
Fox News - The collection is intended to encourage visitors to engage directly with original historical documents and understand the Bible's influence on the founding generation.
HOW:
Fox News - The collection aims to encourage visitors to engage directly with original historical documents to understand the Bible's influence on the founding generation.
Fox News - The collection uses primary sources to examine the Bible's role in early American history.
Fox News - The objects were intentionally selected to tell the fullest story possible about the Bible's influence.
(UPDATED June 29, 2026 06:27 UTC)
A newly unveiled collection includes a 1790 letter from Bishop John Carroll to George Washington, which sought assurance that Catholics would be equal citizens in the new American republic. This impressive assortment features Revolutionary-era printed materials that helped unify the colonies, portraits of key figures like Washington and Lincoln, and even busts of Washington and Benjamin Franklin. The goal of the collection is to encourage visitors to engage directly with original historical documents, shedding light on the Bible's influence on the founding generation.
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(UPDATED June 29, 2026 04:19 UTC)
A new collection at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., showcases original letters, family Bibles, and artifacts from America's founding era, offering fresh insights into the role of Scripture during that pivotal time. This exhibit, which celebrates America's 250th anniversary, features significant items such as the first Bible printed in English in America and an original letter from Thomas Jefferson on religious freedom, all aimed at highlighting the Bible's impact on early American life. Dr. Kevin Butterfield, the Acting Chief of the Library of Congress, along with museum director of collections and curatorial Anthony Schmidt, hopes this collection will encourage visitors to engage with these historical documents and understand the profound influence of the Bible on the nation's founding generation.