The purpose of the American Bible Society, from its founding in 1816, has been to provide all people access to the Bible. In doing so they played a major role in America’s history! During the Civil War, the American Bible Society produced pocket Bibles to fit into soldier’s uniforms—distributing more than 5.2 million Bibles to soldiers on both sides. Many famous names from our history are connected with the American Bible Society: John Jay, the first Supreme Court Justice, served in leadership,