The first official act of the Continental Congress when it met on September 6, 1774 was to open the session in prayer. But it almost didn’t happen because some delegates, led by soon-to-be Supreme Court Chief Justice John Jay, felt there were too many religions in America and it wouldn’t be appropriate. Jay was outvoted and the delegates called an Episcopal priest named Jacob Duche’ to offer the prayer and Duche’ obliged. In spite of great praise for the prayer from delegates like John Adams and his cousin Samuel, Duche’ would later switch sides and become a Royalist and supporter of the King of England.
