Skip to Main Content

Lesson

From Toleration to Liberty: George Washington and the Hebrew Congregation in Newport, Rhode Island

Duration
100 min
Published
Nov 5, 2020
Portrait of a man in a formal black coat, standing with an outstretched hand against a grand background.
What did religious liberty mean from the colonial period to the Founding era? Assess legal and historical documents of toleration and/or liberty, analyze George Washington's 1790 Letter to the Hebrew Congregation in Newport, Rhode Island, and gain an appreciation of Washington's letter as an example of the shift from religious toleration to religious liberty.

Founding Principles

Freedom of Religion, Liberty

Learning objectives

  • Understand the evolution of religious liberty from the colonial period to the Founding Era.
  • Assess legal and historical documents as examples of toleration and/or liberty.
  • Analyze George Washington’s 1790 Letter to the Hebrew Congregation in Newport, Rhode Island.
  • Appreciate Washington’s letter as an example of the shift from religious toleration to religious liberty in America.

Materials

  • Essay: From Establishment to Free Exercise: Religion, George Washington, and the Hebrew Congregation in Newport, Rhode Island
  • Handout A: Defining Toleration and Liberty
  • Handout B: Religion in America’s Past— Toleration, Liberty, or Both?
  • Handout C: Washington’s Letter to the Hebrew Congregation in Newport, Rhode Island
  • Handout D: Document Guide

Lesson Components

ActivityEssay: From Establishment to Free Exercise: Religion, George Washington, and the Hebrew Congregation in Newport, Rhode Island
ActivityHandout A: Defining Toleration and Liberty
ActivityHandout B: Religion in America’s Past – Toleration, Liberty, or Both?
ActivityHandout C: Washington’s Letter to the Hebrew Congregation in Newport, Rhode Island
ActivityHandout D: From Toleration to Liberty Document Guide
Sign in as an educator to view teacher materialsSign in →

Lesson plan

100 minClick a phase to open it

Standards

Check whether this resource aligns with your state’s standards →

Related materials

Historical illustration depicting a group of settlers in boats meeting another group.
LessonRoger Williams: Man of the Word

What about Roger Williams’ identity drove him to found a new colony based on religious liberty?

A historic illustration depicting a woman speaking before a group of seated individuals in a dimly lit room.
LessonAnne Hutchinson and Courage: In the Face of Adversity

How did Anne Hutchinson practice courage to support religious freedom in the American colonies?

Statue of President James Madison
Primary SourceMemorial and Remonstrance (1785)

In 1784, Patrick Henry proposed a general tax called the Bill Establishing a Provision for Teachers [Ministers] of the Christian Religion. Similar to some New England state laws, citizens would choose which Christian church received their support, or the money could go to a general fund to be distributed by the state legislature.

Portrait of a man with white hair and a fur-lined collar, facing slightly to the left against a dark background.
EssayVirginia Statute for Religious Freedom

How do religious freedom and religious tolerance differ?

Religious place of worship
Primary SourceVirginia Statute for Religious Freedom (1786)

Virginia Statute for Establishing Religious Freedom was written by Thomas Jefferson and ushered through the state legislature by James Madison in 1786, banned government interference in religion and individual beliefs.