In the
United States, Enlightenment philosophy (which itself was heavily inspired by deist ideals) played a major role in creating the principle of religious freedom, expressed in Thomas Jefferson's letters and included in the
First Amendment to the United States Constitution.
American Founding Fathers, or Framers of the Constitution, who were especially noted for being influenced by such philosophy include Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin,
Cornelius Harnett,
Gouverneur Morris, and
Hugh Williamson. Their political speeches show distinct deistic influence.
Other notable Founding Fathers may have been more directly deist. These include
James Madison, possibly
Alexander Hamilton,
Ethan Allen,
[47] and
Thomas Paine (who published
The Age of Reason, a treatise that helped to popularize deism throughout the United States and Europe).