(April 9, 1758–July 4, 1808), was an American founder and politician. He was a U.S. Representative from Massachusetts, 1789–97, who help formulate the Bill of Rights in the First Session of the U.S. Congress. He graduated from Harvard, 1774, and became of member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1788, where he participated in the state’s ratification of the U.S. Constitution. He was chosen a member of the Governor’s Council, 1798, and served until 1800, the year he was honored by the Massachusetts Legislature to deliver the message upon the occasion of George Washington’s death. In 1804, he was offered the presidency of Harvard University, but declined due to ill health.
On August 20, 1789, Fisher Ames’ suggested wording of the First Amendment was adopted by the House:
Congress shall make no law establishing religion, or to prevent the free exercise thereof, or to infringe the rights of conscience.1488
Fisher Ames stated:
Should not the Bible regain the place it once held as a schoolbook? Its morals are pure, its examples are captivating and noble. …
The reverence for the sacred book that is thus early impressed lasts long; and, probably, if not impressed in infancy, never takes firm hold of the mind. …
In no Book is there so good English, so pure and so elegant, and by teaching all the same they will speak alike, and the Bible will justly remain the standard of language as well as of faith.1489
On September 20, 1789, in an article published in the Palladium magazine, Fisher Ames stated:
We have a dangerous trend beginning to take place in our education. We’re starting to put more and more textbooks into our schools. …
We’ve become accustomed of late of putting little books into the hands of children containing fables and moral lessons. …
We are spending less time in the classroom on the Bible, which should be the principal text in our schools. … The Bible states these great moral lessons better than any other manmade book.1490