The Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom was drafted in 1777 by Thomas Jefferson in

Fredericksburg, Virginia Fredericksburg is an independent city located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 27,982. The Bureau of Economic Analysis of the United States Department of Commerce combines the city of Fredericksburg wi ...

, and introduced into the Virginia General Assembly in Richmond in 1779. On January 16, 1786, the

Assembly Assembly may refer to: Organisations and meetings * Deliberative assembly, a gathering of members who use parliamentary procedure for making decisions * General assembly, an official meeting of the members of an organization or of their representa ...

enacted the statute into the state's law. The statute disestablished the Church of England in Virginia and guaranteed freedom of religion to people of all religious faiths, including Christians of all denominations, Jews, Muslims, and Hindus. The statute was a notable precursor of the Establishment Clause and Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. The Statute for Religious Freedom is one of only three accomplishments Jefferson instructed be put in his epitaph.

Background

Written in 1777 and first introduced in 1779, Jefferson's statute was repeatedly overlooked in the Virginia Assembly until Patrick Henry introduced legislation titled "A Bill Establishing a Provision for Teachers of the Christian Religion" in 1784. James Madison and others led the opposition to Henry's bill which culminated in Madison's ''Memorial and Remonstrance against Religious Assessments'', published on June 20, 1785. As noted by the Library of Congress, "Madison revived efferson's statuteas an alternative to Henry's general assessment bill and guided it to passage in the Virginia Assembly in January 1786."

Text of statute

References

External links

* {{Authority control Separation of church and state in the United States Freedom of religion in the United States Virginia law Christianity and law in the 18th century Works by Thomas Jefferson Legal history of Virginia 1786 in Virginia 1786 in law American political philosophy literature 1786 works 1786 in religion

Background

Text of statute

See also

References

External links