6-12 VirginiaStatuteofReligiousFreedom(1786)
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6-12 Virginia Statuteof ReligiousFreedom(1786)
As the Patriots wagedwar againstBritain to attain political freedom as a nation, they had,
as many of the documents in this set illustrate, to deal with the fact that some Patriots
wanted greater freedom at home. This quest for greater freedom could be seen clearly
where religion was concerned.One of the landmarks on the road to true religious freedom in the republic was the Virginia statute of religious liberty, which is reprinted in fulI
here. Thomas Jefferson,who authored the law, consideredits enactment one of the three
principal achievementsof his life.
at Largeof Virginia,12:84-86.
Sozrce:FromWilliamW Hening,ed.,TheStatutes
I. WHEREASAlmighty God hath createdthe mind free;that
all attemptsto influenceit by temporalpunishmentsor burthens,or by civil incapacitations,tend only to begethabitsof
hypocrisyand meanness,and are a departurefrom the plan
of the Holy author of our religion,who being Lord both of
body and mind, yet chosenot to propagateit by coercionson
either,aswasin his Almighty power to do; that the impious
presumptionof legislatorsand rulers, civil as well as ecclesiastical,who being themselvesbut fallible and uninspired
men, haveassumeddominion over the faith of others,setting up their own opinions and modes of thinking as the
only true and infallible,and assuchendeavouringto impose
them on others,hath establishedand maintained falsereligions over the greatestpart of the world, and through all
time; that to compel a man to furnish contributions of
moneyfor the propagationof opinionswhich he disbelieves,
is sinful and tyrannical;that eventhe forcing him to support
this or that teacherof his own religious persuasion,is depriving him of the comfortableliberty of giving his contributions to the particular pastor, whose morals he would
makehis pattern,and whosepowershe feelsmost persuasive
to righteousness,and is withdrawing from the ministry
thosetemporary rewards,which proceedingfrom an approbation of their personal conduct, are all additional incitement to earnestand unremitting laboursfor the instruction
of mankind; that our civil rights haveno dependenceon our
religious opinions, any more than our opinions in physics
or geometry; that thereforethe proscribing any citizen as
unworthy the public confidenceby laying upon him an incapacityof being calledto officesof trust and emolument,
unlesshe professor renouncethis or that religiousopinion,
is depriving him injuriously of thoseprivilegesand advantagesto which in common with his fellow-citizenshe has
a natural right; that it tends only to corrupt the principles
of that religion it is meant to encourage,by bribing with a
monopoly of worldly honours and emoluments,thosewho
will externallyprofessand conform to it; that though indeed
theseare criminal who do not withstand such temptation,
yet neither arethose innocent who lay the bait in their way;
that to suffer the civil magistrateto intrude his powersinto
the field of opinion, and to restrainthe professionor propagation of principleson suppositionof their ill tendenry,is a
dangerousfallacy,which at oncedestroysall religiousliberty,
becausehe being of coursejudge of that tendencywill make
his opinions the rule of judgment, and approveor condemn
the sentimentsof others only as they shall squarewith or
differ from his own; that it is time enough for the rightful
purposesof civil government,for its officers to interfere
when principlesbreak out into overt actsagainstpeaceand
good order; and finally, that truth is greatand will prevail if
Ieft to herself,that sheis the proper and sufficientantagonist
to error, and has nothing to fear from the conflict, unlessby
human interposition disarmedof her natural weapons,free
argumentand debate,errorsceasingto be dangerouswhen it
is permitted freelyto contradictthem:
man shall
Il. Beit enactedbytheGeneralAssembly,Thatno
be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship,
place,or ministry whatsoever,nor shallbe enforced,restrained,
molested,or burthenedin his body or goods,nor shallotherwisesufferon accountof his religiousopinionsor belief;but
that all men shallbe freeto profess,and by argumentto maintain, their opinion in mattersof religion,and that the same
shallin no wisediminish, enlarge,or affecttheir civil capacities.
by
III.And thoughwewellknowthat this assemblyelected
the peoplefor the ordinary purposesoflegislationonly,have
constino power to restrain the actsof succeedingassemblies,
tuted with powersequal to our own, and that thereforeto declarethis act to be irrevocablewould be of no effectin law; yet
we arefreeto declare,and do declare,that the rights herebyassertedare of the natural rights of mankind, and that if any act
shallbe hereafterpassedto repealthe present,or to narrow its
operation,suchact will be an infringement on natural right.
Questions
l.
Does the wording of this statute truly guaranteeabsolutereligious freedom?Why or
whynot?
j
:
rs2
s, I776-1789
CHAPTER6 MakingWar andRepublicanGovernment
)
in anyimPortantways?If
Doesthis statuteechothe Declarationof Independence
so,how?
aswell asmanyotherAmericansat the time,believethat
3. Why did ThomasJefferson,
civil societyand obstructedgoodgovernment?
an"established
church"'undermined
you
argument?
Do
agreewith Jefferson's
6-13 BostonWomenSupportPriceControl (1777)
AbigailAdams
Financing the Patriots'war effort produced a range of problems, including disagreements
over how to control prices and thus prevent greedyself-interestfrom overwhelming public virtue. Given the active role women had played in earlier economic boycotts (Documents 5-7 and 5-13) and were taking in the war effort (Document 6-7), it seemslogical
that women would have participated in any program to regulate prices' Such an effort
occurred in Massachusettsin 1777. As the following letter of |uly 31, 1777, from Abigail
Adams to her husband,John, shows,what some Boston women did to achieveprice regulation proved most intriguing.
FromCharlesF.Adams,ed.,LettersofMrsAdams,theWfeoflohnAdams,4thed.(Bost
Source:
1848).84-8s.
3l laIy,1777
I havenothing new to entertainyou with, unlessit is an account of a new setof mobility, which haslatelytakenthe lead
in Boston.You must know that there is a greatscarcityof
sugarand coffee,articleswhich the femalepart of the state
is very loth to give up, especiallywhilst they consider the
scarcityoccasionedby the merchantshavingsecreteda large
quantity. There had been much rout and noise in the town
for severalweeks.Somestoreshad beenopenedby a number
of people,and the coffeeand sugarcarried into the market,
and dealt out by pounds. It was rumored that an eminent,
wealthy,stingymerchant(who is a bachelor)had a hogshead
of coffeein his store,which he refusedto sellto the commit-
tee under six shillings per pound. A number of females,
some saya hundred, some saymore, assembledwith a cart
and trucks,marcheddown to the warehouse,and demanded
the keys,which he refusedto deliver.Upon which, one of
them seizedhim by his neck, and tossedhim into the cart.
Upon his finding no quarter, he deliveredthe keys,when
they tipped up the cart and dischargedhim; then openedthe
put it into the
warehouse,hoistedout the coffeethemselves,
truck, and droveoff.
It was reported, that he had personal chastisement
among them; but this, I believe\^rasnot true. A large concourseof men stood amazed,silent spectatorsof the whole
transaction.
Questions
l.
What exactly did thesewomen do? Did they do it on their own?
2,
Would Gouverneur Morris (Document 6-1) havebeen surprised by what happened
in Boston?Why or why not?
3.
Compare the actions theseBoston women took with the actions describedin Documents 5-7, 5-13,and 6-7. Doesit appearthat asthe Patriot movementprogressed
into war, women acted more independently?Why or why not?
WarnsAbout the Long Knives(1781)
6-14 Pachgantschihilas
John Heckewelder
a Moravian,wasborn in Englandin 1743and movedwith his parents
JohnHeckewelder,
whenhe waseleven.As an adult he becamea missionaryamongthe Nato Pennsylvania
theHistory,Manners,and
In 1818,ayearafterhisdeath,hisAnAccountof
tiveAmericans.