The Supreme Court, the First Amendment, and Belief The curriculum, Religious Liberty: The American Experiment,

including a series of teacher professional development programs around the country, was made possible by generous donations from the George Washington Institute for Religious Freedom.
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Religious Liberty: The American Experiment Lesson 1 Two Views of Religious Liberty: Massachusetts Bay and Rhode Island
Objectives: Compare and contrast competing models of religious liberty in Massachusetts Bay and Rhode Island. Assess the significance of each to the American experiment in religious liberty.
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Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies

8. Delineate and evaluate the reasoning in seminal U.S. texts, including the application of constitutional principles and use of legal reasoning (e.g., in U.S. Supreme Court majority opinions and dissents) and the premises, purposes, and arguments in works of public advocacy (e.g., The Federalist, presidential addresses).

Important Definitions
Tolerance: refers to individuals relationships and attitudes toward one another; capacity for or the practice of recognizing and respecting the beliefs or practices of others. Toleration: government policy that permits the practice of certain religions; the practice of religion is a privilege allowed by government. Religious liberty: the idea that freedom of conscience is an inalienable right not under the legitimate control of government.
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Lesson One
Massachusetts Bay and Rhode Island
Two Views of Religious Liberty

Lesson One: Massachusetts Bay and Rhode IslandTwo Views of Religious Liberty What is religious liberty?
All the people of god within this Jurisdiction who are not in a church way, and be orthodox in Judgment, and not scandalous in life, shall have full liberty to gather themselves into a Church Estate. Provided they do it in a Christian way, with due observation of the rules of Christ revealed in his word. The Liberties of the Massachusetts Colony in New England, 1641 [T]hey have freely declared, that it is much on their hearts (if they may be permitted), to hold forth a lively experiment, that a most flourishing civil state may stand and best be maintained, and that among our English subjects, with a full liberty in religious concernments Charter of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, 1663

Lesson One: Massachusetts Bay and Rhode IslandTwo Views of Religious Liberty
Overview For Puritans like those who settled Massachusetts Bay, religious liberty meant the freedom to establish religious communities, and to reject from those communities those who did not share their religious perspective. By contrast, Rhode Island was founded on the express principle of religious freedom for all. Rhode Island welcomed people of every (or no) faith, including Quakers and Jews, who were not permitted religious freedom anywhere else in the North American colonies.

Massachusetts Bay and Rhode Island

Teacher-friendly lesson plan

Background Essay: Homework Essay: Massachusetts and Rhode IslandTwo Models of Religious Liberty

Includes comprehension and critical thinking questions.

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Massachusetts Bay and Rhode Island

Learning Goals Understand the place of John Winthrop and Roger Williams in American history. Compare and contrast competing models of religious liberty in Massachusetts Bay and Rhode Island. Assess the significance of each model to the American experiment in religious liberty.
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Lesson One: Massachusetts Bay and Rhode IslandTwo Views of Religious Liberty
Warm-up--Simulation in which students decide whether to admit reformers to voluntary clubs they have formed. Football Club Music Club Literature Club Computer Club Reformers (C: specific instructions) Which model of church-state relations (Massachusetts Bay or Rhode Island) did your Club group adopt?

Two Views: Handouts D & E

Massachusetts Bay Both Rhode Island

Handout D: Winthrop-Passages from A Model of Christian Charity, 1630

Handout D: Williams-Passages from The Bloudy Tenet of Persecution, 1644

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Two Views: Handouts D & E

Massachusetts Bay Both Rhode Island

John Winthrop
Puritans Model of Christian Charity Massachusetts Body of Liberties Nathaniel Ward Religious Liberty includes a peoples right to exclude nonbelievers. Established in part for the purpose of providing something to the world. Theological arguments for religious liberty Goal of peaceful & successful way of life.

Roger Williams
Separation of Church and State Rhode Island Charter Providence Agreement Bloudy Tenet of Persecution Religious Liberty means freedom of individual conscience.

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Massachusetts Bay and Rhode Island

Discussion: The Puritans are sometimes criticized for a hypocritical approach to religious libertythat they wanted religious freedom but they denied it to others. Is this a fair criticism? Why or why not? Does it surprise you that Massachusetts was the last of all the states to disestablish its state church? Why or why not? What was the express purpose of the colony of Rhode Island? Why do you think the colonies, and, eventually, the states, followed the model of Rhode Island and not Massachusetts Bay?

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