State Churches in Early America

[Polish Eagle]

While the First Amendment to the Constitution famously forbids Congress to make any law regarding establishments of religion, the Tenth Amendment delegates all other rights not explicitly forbidden the states to them. As such, it seems to me that any of the individual American states could have legally established some church, particularly in the early days when the understanding of the constitution was more plastic than it is now.

What sequence of events after the ratification of the US Constitution are needed to reach that point, and what Church-State combination is most likely to do so? What impact would that have on American jurisprudence and development? Would an amendment be passed at some point to outlaw that practice?

 

[FALightFighter]

This is OTL. 6 of the original 13 states had established churches (https://www.washingtonpost.com/five...21/AF2SlBQE_story.html?utm_term=.c67754941bda). The wiki overview seems relatively balanced for what is certain to be a controversial subject (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Separation_of_church_and_state_in_the_United_States).

 

[Polish Eagle]

This is OTL. 6 of the original 13 states had established churches (https://www.washingtonpost.com/five...21/AF2SlBQE_story.html?utm_term=.c67754941bda). The wiki overview seems relatively balanced for what is certain to be a controversial subject (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Separation_of_church_and_state_in_the_United_States).

Interesting! But most of those disestablished either during the Revolution or immediately after (Connecticut hanging on longest). Could any of those be re-established, or other Churches take their place?

I was thinking an establishment or re-establishment of state churches might take place as a response to Catholic immigration, or during the Second Great Awakening.

 

[Flashman]

Interesting! But most of those disestablished either during the Revolution or immediately after (Connecticut hanging on longest). Could any of those be re-established, or other Churches take their place?

I was thinking an establishment or re-establishment of state churches might take place as a response to Catholic immigration, or during the Second Great Awakening.

Butterflying the Second Great Awakening, or maybe making Jefferson more pious would probably do the trick.

Now, personally I find it hard to conceive of every state having a church, and the idea that one would be imposed by the Federal Government (at least in the early days) seems even more unlikely.

 

[GohanLSSJ2]

It'd be an interesting precedent once the Mormons and other religious movements start showing up...

 

[Arkenfolm]

The Second Great Awakening would make this very chaotic. Especially since it led to a decline in Anglicanism in the South in favour of various Protestant denominations.

Similarly, once Catholic immigration occurs in large number, would Catholics ever try to vote the Catholic Church as a state church? Even if they wouldn't, the very threat of that would provoke a huge response. This is the era which gave us the Blaine Amendment which wasn't in the name of secularism but in the name of anti-Catholicism. You could have an amendment which dis-establishes all state churches gain widespread support. Many denominations would support it since it would place all denominations on an equal field, but above all else would prevent Catholics and others from gaining control.

It'd be an interesting precedent once the Mormons and other religious movements start showing up...

But is the United States really going to allow a "deviant" faith like Mormonism to be the state church of a state?

 

[Johannes Parisiensis]

Interesting! But most of those disestablished either during the Revolution or immediately after (Connecticut hanging on longest). Could any of those be re-established, or other Churches take their place?

I was thinking an establishment or re-establishment of state churches might take place as a response to Catholic immigration, or during the Second Great Awakening.

After the XIVth Amendment and Incorporation kick, I can't see established churches be lawfully enacted in any American jurisdiction.

It'd be an interesting precedent once the Mormons and other religious movements start showing up...

But is the United States really going to allow a "deviant" faith like Mormonism to be the state church of a state?

Given the Congress passed the Edmunds–Tucker Act dissolving the LDS Church and Utah became a State only in the 1809s, compared to Nevada, I don't think the reaction of the establishment of the LDS Church would be positive.

 

[riggerrob]

WI Quakers dominate Massechewsetts?

WI Catholics dominate Maryland?

WI Baptists dominate the Southern States?

WI Presbyterins dominate Appalachia?

WI Mormons dominate Utah?

WI Catholics dominate Louisiana?