Saturday, January 16, 2016

Religious Freedom Day: Your Teacher's Tool Kit for Materials on Jefferson's Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom

Today is Religious Freedom Day.  It coincides with the adoption of Thomas Jefferson's Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom on 16 Jan. 1786.  The act became the foundation for the First Amendment's freedom of religion enacted in the Bill of Rights.
This video from the Library of Virginia is a great introduction to the act (3:26):
Two sources for excellent background information and context of the statute are offered at the Virginia Historical Society and the Monticello estate.  

What did Thomas Jefferson think of the impact of the statute?  He included it as one of his accomplishments on his gravestone.


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