Religious Freedom
While president, George Washington went past mere religious toleration and established religious freedom for citizens.
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"While all men within our territories are protected in worshipping the Deity according to the dictates of their consciences..."
While a private man when it came to his personal religious beliefs, George Washington worked tirelessly to ensure people of all religions had the right to practice within the United States.
Dive into this timeline exploring George Washington's pursuit of religious freedom.
Many have speculated about George Washington's religious views and practices since his lifetime. Historian Mary Thompson explores the religious life of Washington.
In letter after letter, President Washington wrote to religious communities that the government would not prevent them from practicing their religion.
The enslaved men and women at Mount Vernon practiced a variety of religious traditions, influenced by both African and European traditions.
George Washington to the Hebrew Congregation in Newport, Rhode Island, Wednesday, August 18, 1790
Many of the speeches Washington gave and the letters he wrote to religious communities about their freedom to practice in the United States appeared in newspapers.
Martha Washington and her children and grandchildren shared many of the same religious practices as George Washington.
Washington was generally private about his religious life. While his church attendance varied throughout his life, Washington was a devoted member of the Anglican Church. In 1762, he became a vestryman at Pohick Church and served as a churchwarden for three terms.
George Washington to George Mason, October 3, 1785.
President Washington's address to the Touro Synagogue advanced the subject of religious freedom in America.
Washington's statements regarding Catholicism and freedom of religion set precedents for the new nation.
George Washington to the Bishops of the Methodist Episcopal Church, May 29, 1789.
George Washington was chosen as a vestryman for both Fairfax Parish in Alexandria and Truro Parish in Fairfax County.
In taking the oath of office, Washington used the Bible of the St. John's Masonic Lodge No. 1 of New York.
Washington’s papers contain hundreds of biblical quotations, figures of speech, idioms, proverbs, and allusions.
Did you know Washington intended religious freedom to apply to all religions? Or that his birth was recorded in the family Bible?
While not as flashy as the holiday we know today, Christmas at Mount Vernon during Washington's time was a joyous affair complete with family, friends, and plenty of festive food.
George Washington to Sir Edward Newenham, October 20, 1792.
First built in 1773, George Washington purchased a pew at this Fairfax Parish church in Alexandria and was a lifelong member of the congregation.
George Mason, William Fairfax, and George Washington were all prominent parishioners of Pohick Church.
Although Washington was baptized by sprinkling as an infant, descendants of the chaplain John Gano claimed that Washington asked Gano to baptize him by immersion during the Revolutionary War.