Professional historians address the dominant issues and theories offered to explain the history of American philanthropy and its role in American society. These essays develop and enlighten major themes, oftentimes contesting each other in the process. The overarching premise is that philanthropic activity in America has its roots in the desires of individuals to impose their visions of societal ideals, or conceptions of truth, upon their society. To do so, they organize in groups that frequently define themselves and their group's role in society.

The U.S. Constitution prohibited the federal government from establishing a national religion, yet American colonies and early state governments operated state-supported religious institutions and continued to do so for a half-century a the creation of the United States. In "One Nation under Law", Mark D. McGarvie draws on the experiences of three key states - New York South Carolina, and New Hampshire - to illustrate the efforts to disentangle church and state during the early national period.