James Madison authored a powerful defense of religious liberty while serving in the Virginia state government, arguing that there should be no tax collected to support any established – that is, state-supported – church or other religious group. Seen as one of the seminal discussions of the topic in American political thought and discourse, Madison’s multi-point argument expressed both the belief that the mind is free, and that no man’s conscience can be dictated by the state.

Focus Document

• Memorial and Remonstrance, James Madison, 1785

Complementary Documents

• Notes on the State of Virginia, Query XVII: Religion, Thomas Jefferson, 1781
• Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, Thomas Jefferson, 1786

Scholars

• Dr. John Moser, Ashland University
• Dr. David Tucker, Ashland University
• Dr. Sarah Morgan Smith, Ashland University