America’s God and Country

“Who said it?” is not just a question of curiosity — it’s the battlefield of America’s historical memory. In America’s God and Country, William J. Federer equips readers with the evidence itself: a sweeping A–Z encyclopedia of quotations, each carefully footnoted, contextualized, and illustrated. No hearsay, no secondhand paraphrase. Just the original words of America’s leaders, thinkers, and witnesses — drawn from founding compacts, constitutional debates, wartime proclamations, and landmark rulings.

The collection is broad and revealing. Presidents and framers appear beside reformers, educators, and scientists. The Mayflower Compact stands with the Declaration of Independence; Frederick Douglass’s voice echoes alongside Abigail Adams, James Warren, C. S. Lewis, and even Wernher von Braun. Each entry provides enough context to anchor the quotation in its moment, restoring not only the words but also the setting in which they were spoken or written.

Federer’s work functions as both reference and revelation. For teachers and students, it is a ready-made arsenal for lesson plans and debate prep. For pastors, journalists, and public officials, it provides accurate sourcing for sermons, speeches, and reports. For researchers and engaged readers, it becomes a trusted companion: a way to verify, to cite, and to see the nation’s heritage through the eyes of those who built it.

At a time when America’s past is contested, this volume presses the record forward with precision. America’s God and Country is not commentary; it is testimony — a window into the civic and moral inheritance that continues to shape the republic. (2013ed, 845pp, hb)