Letter from George Washington to the Hebrew Congregation at Newport

Upon his election as President in April of 1790, churches and congregations wrote letters to George Washington congratulating him on his victory. In true Washington fashion, he replied to each with gratitude. His reply to the Hebrew Congregation of Newport, Rhode Island is exceptional as it succinctly summarizes how America’s commitment to toleration surpassed even the most liberal regimes in Europe by establishing the governing principle of religious freedom.

Washington replied to each letter of congratulation with a personalized message of thanks for the writers’ well-​wishes. In his reply to the Hebrew Congregation of Newport, Washington applauded the people of the United States for rejecting the European practice of religious “toleration,” embracing instead the “large and liberal policy” that religious liberty is a natural right—and not a gift of government—which all citizens are equally free to exercise.

Throughout Europe, state-​sponsored religion was standard practice. Although the colonies never had any state-​sanctioned religion, many of the original governing charters made no separation between church and state. Good government, in many cases, was based upon interpretations of Christian principles. Non-​Christians were to be tolerated in the hopes they would someday convert to Christianity.

Since its founding in 1636 by Roger Williams, Rhode Island had been a haven of religious freedom. In fact, Rhode Island was the last state to ratify the US Constitution because in its initial draft it contained no Bill of Rights and no guarantee of religious freedom.

After thanking the Congregation, Washington affirms Americans ought to be proud “for having given to mankind examples of an enlarged and liberal policy: a policy worthy of imitation.” Unlike European nations, “All possess alike liberty of conscience and immunities of citizenship. It is now no more that toleration is spoken of, as if it was by the indulgence of one class of people” that all others enjoyed the right to worship. Far from being a nation solely for Christians, Washington praises the United States, “which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance[,] requir[ing] only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens, in giving it on all occasions their effectual support.” As long as citizens of the United States obey the laws and fulfill their duties, their religion is solely their own concern.

Washington’s letter to the Hebrew Congregation of Newport is a testament to the United States’s deep commitment to religious freedom at a time when few nations had governments that not only tolerated but celebrated religious difference and diversity. This commitment to religious freedom made the United States a safe haven for many people across the globe who—even today—seek freedom from religious persecution.