ABSTRACT
The nineteenth century was a difficult time for the young, foundling United States of America. The century saw the beginning of the resolution of the two major, unresolved issues at the time of the ratification of the Constitution—slavery and religion. The problem of slavery delayed the country's focus upon the second potentially deal-breaking issue of religion, which had originally threatened to derail ratification. In particular, the issue of the Sunday mail began to attract a significant amount of the nation's attention during the early part of the nineteenth century. At the time of the ratification of the Constitution, eight of the original thirteen states had some form of state-supported, established religion. It is also ironic that the colony of Massachusetts is perhaps most popularly identified with religious freedom, given the image of the early Puritans fleeing religious persecution in England. Native American religion, including the Ghost Dance, was commonly regarded as dangerous superstition.
