Prayer Leaders Mark 250th Anniversary, Drop 'Humiliation' From 1776 Declaration

2 articles · Updated · Washington Monthly · May 18

Jubilee of Prayer leaders commemorating a 250-year-old fast day described it as a national day of fasting and prayer, omitting the 1776 declaration’s call for a day of “humiliation.”
The Continental Congress text paired prayer with confession, repentance and a plea for pardon through Jesus Christ, framing the observance as self-examination before seeking divine help in war with Britain.
The report argues that leaving out “humiliation” strips away the founders’ emphasis on admitting national sin and fault, not simply invoking God’s favor or Christian language.
A May 17, 1776 sermon by John Witherspoon is cited as a model of that approach, urging scrutiny of sins such as envy, malice and covetousness.
The broader point is that the founders’ appeals to Providence were presented as conditional on moral reform, not as proof of permanent divine backing for the United States.

Why was the founders' call to 'bewail our sins' omitted from the recent national prayer jubilee on the Mall?

From 'humiliation' to 'praise': What does this 250-year shift in national prayer reveal about American identity?