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The Roots and Branches of Religious Liberty_Introduction
Sandy Cook
The Roots and Branches of Religious Liberty_Cook
This lesson seeks to reveal the importance of religion in general and the value of the religious liberty clauses within the First Amendment. The introductory document excerpt can be utilized in World History to open a unit on the Roman Empire or as utilized here as an interest hook for U.S. History or Civics. The list of quotations about religion can be utilized to open a lesson on Bill of Rights in US History or Civics or to begin a survey class on Comparative Religions. The various documents may also be used independently of this particular lesson to demonstrate the development of rights and in particular, religious rights.
Introductory Document: Excerpt from Edict of Milan
Document B: Religious Quotations
Document Set C
Document Set D
Student-made five square graphic organizer
One 90 minute block
3
How did America’s religious liberty originate?
Ask students to respond in written form to the following question:
"How is/has religion been utilized for personal gain and/or to subjugate people?"
Ask students to guess the author and the period of time in which this document was written.
Distribute copies of Document A without revealing the author or time frame. Have students read and underline any reference to religion. Go over discussion starter questions.
--Using Document B, give the two students an envelope containing strips of paper. Some strips have quotations about religion and the others have the authors. Students are to try to match each quotation with the correct author. Go over the correct authors. Ask students to share quotations that caught their attention, quotations that were similar, quotations that contradicted each other. Discuss: Why would particular people feel they way they did concerning religion? Discuss the positive and negative aspects of religion as revealed in these quotations. Small Groups:
Divide students into partners:
Distribute Document Set D to each group. Ask students to record correlations from each of the four documents in Set C to the two documents in Set D. Discuss: How did people such as John Locke, George Mason, James Madison, and Patrick Henry influence the foundation of religious liberty in America?
Students should assume the identity of an American colonist and write a journal entry in which they describe why religious liberty is important to them as individuals. Include references to specific founding fathers' ideologies and contributions.
Religion has always been an important component of mankind, both privately and corporately. Civilizations have dealt with political problems, societal situations, economic prosperity and depressions, and military conflicts with vigor and concern, but the religious aspect of any civilization has hit the very heart of the people. Religion has provided hope and security at times, but also hurt and despair in others, usually at the discretion of the one(s) in power. Religion has prompted debates, civil discussions, confusion, and wars. Religious liberty has been dreamt of, hoped for, discussed, tossed away, treasured, guarded, and ignored. As was founded, a new approach emerged in which religious liberty was taken to a whole new level in the concept of freedom of conscience.
Supplemental Notes
English settlers in North America came with a history of limited freedoms. From formal documents such as the Magna Carta in 1215 (which among other items, limited the power of the king), the Petition of Rights in 1628, and the 1689 English Bill of Rights (from which the American Bill of Rights will later take its name) to English common law (a collection of court rulings which evolved over time), these settlers felt they possessed certain rights and included these rights in their colonial laws. However, religious freedom was not a part of this English tradition. With persecution in European countries on their minds, these settlers created limited religious protection. Sometimes, this protection was for themselves only as in the case of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and Puritans. Other times it was for all such as in the case of Rhode Island where Roger Williams established not only religious liberty, but freedom of conscience also.
Between 1776 and 1791 would see great changes in its view of religious liberty. The Virginia Declaration of Rights in 1776 set the stage. After the American Revolution, found herself in need of a constitution. In 1787 at the Constitutional Convention, the South Carolina delegate, Charles Pinckney, proposed that no religious test be required to serve in public office. With little opposition, this suggestion became Article VI. This was a monumental step in religious liberty in that the old European concept of control through religion was obsolete in this new country, especially in light of the fact that most of the colonies had established religions or religious tests in place at that time. Most states followed the lead of the federal government in abolishing religious tests. However, it was not until 1868 for North Carolina , 1946 for New Hampshire , and 1961 for Maryland that ends to religious tests will become realities.
CHRONOLOGY:
1689 John Locke Letter Concerning Toleration
1776 George Mason The Virginia Declaration of Rights
1777 (drafted) Thomas Jefferson A Bill for Establishing Religious Freedom
1785 James Madison Memorial and Remonstrance Against Religious
Assessments
1787 Constitutional Convention proposal is made for Bill of Rights
1787-1791 Discussions over Bill of Rights and Religious Liberty
1791 Bill of Rights is ratified
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