The US was founded by Christian fanatics that left England because of their extreme beliefs.

The Spanish came to the Americas and established missions to convert the indigenous people.

Depending on location in the Americas, religion was either first or a very close second.

Sure the founding fathers created a government that wasn’t directly controlled by the church, but religion has been a major contributor. Don’t forget that the church used parts of the Bible to justify slavery, which was a hot topic starting with the founding of the US.