George Washington letter on religious liberty
E818039
The George Washington letter on religious liberty is a historic 1790 correspondence to the Hebrew congregation in Newport affirming the United States’ commitment to religious freedom and equal citizenship for people of all faiths.
All labels observed (1)
| Label | Occurrences |
|---|---|
| George Washington letter on religious liberty canonical | 1 |
Statements (50)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
historical document
ⓘ
letter ⓘ primary source ⓘ |
| addressedTo |
Jews of Newport, Rhode Island
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Touro Synagogue congregation NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| affirms |
Equal citizenship regardless of faith
ⓘ
United States commitment to religious freedom ⓘ |
| alsoKnownAs |
George Washington’s Newport letter
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Letter to the Hebrew Congregation in Newport NERFINISHED ⓘ Newport letter NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| author | George Washington NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| countryOfOrigin | United States of America ⓘ |
| dateWritten | 1790-08-18 ⓘ |
| documentType | presidential letter ⓘ |
| genre | official correspondence ⓘ |
| hasDigitalVersion | Yes ⓘ |
| historicalContext | Washington’s visit to Newport, Rhode Island in 1790 ⓘ |
| historicalPeriod | Early American Republic NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| inCollection | George Washington Papers NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| influencedBy | Enlightenment ideas on religious toleration ⓘ |
| keyIdea |
Government gives no sanction to bigotry
ⓘ
Jews are entitled to full civil and religious rights as citizens ⓘ Religious liberty is a natural right, not a favor from government ⓘ United States offers equal liberty to all religious denominations ⓘ |
| keyPhrase |
"everyone shall sit in safety under his own vine and fig tree"
ⓘ
"to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance" ⓘ |
| language | English ⓘ |
| officeHeldByAuthorAtTime | President of the United States ⓘ |
| placeWritten | Newport, Rhode Island NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| politicalContext |
First years of the United States Constitution
ⓘ
Presidency of George Washington NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| preservedAt |
Library of Congress
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Touro Synagogue archives NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| quotedIn | U.S. Supreme Court opinions and legal scholarship ⓘ |
| recipient | Hebrew Congregation in Newport, Rhode Island NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| relatedTo |
First Amendment to the United States Constitution
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Moses Seixas letter to George Washington NERFINISHED ⓘ Touro Synagogue NERFINISHED ⓘ United States Bill of Rights NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| significance |
Early federal affirmation of Jewish equality in the United States
ⓘ
Foundational text for American concept of religious liberty ⓘ Frequently cited in legal and historical discussions of religious freedom ⓘ |
| topic |
Jewish American history
ⓘ
church–state relations ⓘ equal citizenship ⓘ freedom of religion ⓘ minority rights ⓘ religious liberty ⓘ |
| usedIn | ceremonies at Touro Synagogue ⓘ |
| yearWritten | 1790 ⓘ |
Referenced by (1)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.