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 (4)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (50)

Predicate Object
instanceOf historical document ⓘ
letter ⓘ
primary source ⓘ
addressedTo Jews of Newport, Rhode Island ⓘ
Touro Synagogue congregation ⓘ
affirms Equal citizenship regardless of faith ⓘ
United States commitment to religious freedom ⓘ
alsoKnownAs George Washington’s Newport letter ⓘ
Letter to the Hebrew Congregation in Newport ⓘ
Newport letter ⓘ
author George Washington ⓘ
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 ⓘ
inCollection George Washington Papers ⓘ
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 ⓘ
politicalContext First years of the United States Constitution ⓘ
Presidency of George Washington ⓘ
preservedAt Library of Congress ⓘ
Touro Synagogue archives ⓘ
linked to: Touro Synagogue
quotedIn U.S. Supreme Court opinions and legal scholarship ⓘ
recipient Hebrew Congregation in Newport, Rhode Island ⓘ
relatedTo First Amendment to the United States Constitution ⓘ
Moses Seixas letter to George Washington ⓘ
Touro Synagogue ⓘ
United States Bill of Rights ⓘ
linked to: Bill of Rights
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 ⓘ

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (4)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Touro Synagogue → significantEvent → George Washington letter on religious liberty ⓘ
Sephardic Jewish community of Newport → associatedWithDocument → George Washington’s 1790 letter to the Hebrew Congregation in Newport ⓘ
linked to: George Washington letter on religious liberty
George Washington letter on religious liberty → alsoKnownAs → George Washington’s Newport letter ⓘ
linked to: George Washington letter on religious liberty
George Washington letter on religious liberty → relatedTo → Moses Seixas letter to George Washington ⓘ
linked to: George Washington letter on religious liberty