1776 USA wasn't Christian supermajority
America turns 250 years old this July, and the country it has been telling itself stories about — a Christian nation, founded by a Christian people, on Christian ground — has been a moving target for the entire run.
TL;DR
- In 1776, only 17% of people in the new American republic were church members.
- The founding generation's America had dispersed settlements and undersupplied clergy, leading to many believers not being officially enrolled in churches.
- Religious adherence in America saw extraordinary expansion: 34% by 1850, 45% by 1890, 56% by 1926, and 90-93% by the 1950s.
- Protestant population grew from 300,000 in 1800 to 43 million by 1950, a rate five times faster than general population growth.