President Abraham Lincoln required acknowledging God in an oath in order to be a U.S. citizen.
On December 8, 1863, Lincoln announced his plan to accept back into the Union those who had been in the Confederacy.
In his proposed pledge, God is acknowledged twice:
“Whereas it is now desired by some persons heretofore engaged in said rebellion to resume their allegiance to the United States…
“Therefore, I, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, do proclaim, declare, and make known to all persons who have, directly or by implication, participated in the existing rebellion…that a full pardon is hereby granted to them…with restoration of all rights of property…upon the condition that every such person shall take and subscribe an oath…to wit:
“I, ____ ____, do solemnly swear, in the presence of ALMIGHTY GOD, that I will henceforth faithfully support, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States and the Union of the States thereunder, and that I will in like manner abide by and faithfully support all acts of Congress passed during the existing rebellion with reference to slaves…and that I will in like manner abide by and faithfully support all proclamations of the President made during the existing rebellion having reference to slaves…SO HELP ME GOD.”
Justice Samuel Chase had a similar oath to become a U.S. citizen.
Samuel Chase was Chief Justice of the Maryland Supreme Court in 1791, and then appointed by George Washington as a Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, 1796-1811.
In 1799, there was a dispute over whether an Irish immigrant named Thomas M’Creery had in fact become naturalized as a U.S. citizen and thereby able to leave an estate to a relative still living in Ireland.
The court decided in M’Creery’s favor based on a certificate executed before Justice Samuel Chase, which stated:
“I, Samuel Chase, Chief Judge of the State of Maryland, do hereby certify all whom it may concern, that…personally appeared before me Thomas M’Creery, and did repeat and subscribe a declaration of his belief in the Christian Religion, and take the oath required by the Act of Assembly of this State, entitled, An Act for Naturalization.”
William J. Federer is a nationally known speaker, best-selling author, and president of Amerisearch, Inc., a publishing company dedicated to researching America’s noble heritage.
To learn more about the author please visit William Federer
Photo by Kevork Djansezian
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