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Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom
The
Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom
was drafted in 1777 (however it was not first introduced into the
Virginia General Assembly
until 1779) by
Thomas Jefferson
in the city of
Fredericksburg, Virginia
. On January 16, 1786, the
Assembly
enacted the statute into the state's law. The statute disestablished the
Church of England
in Virginia and guaranteed
freedom of religion
to people of all religious faiths, including
Catholics
and
Jews
as well as members of all
Protestant
denominations. The statute was a notable precursor of the
Establishment Clause
and
Free Exercise Clause
of the
First Amendment
to the
United States Constitution
.
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