Learn about early advocacy for religious freedom in Virginia in the Library of Virginia vid 10K Signatures for Religious Freedom. In the video, Library historian Brent Tarter talks about how thousands of Virginia residents petitioned the General Assembly for religious freedom.
Explore how Virginians petitioned the government on highly personal matters, including religious freedom, in the Library of Virginia exhibit Your Humble Petitioner: Legislative Petitions Gave Voice to Virginians. Writes the Library:
During the years between the American Revolution and the Civil War, Virginians submitted petitions to the General Assembly to bring local or personal issues to the attention of their legislators. The Library’s collection of nearly 25,000 petitions reveals how Virginians communicated their concerns on a wide range of topics. To obtain legal permission to operate a ferry, maintain a tavern, or carry out many other activities, residents of the commonwealth were required to introduce a petition into the House of Delegates to begin the process of acceptance or rejection. The right to petition was not restricted by class, race, or sex. Your Humble Petitioner highlights petitions that involved deeply personal issues such as divorce and requests by emancipated Black people to remain in the commonwealth, offering a glimpse into the realities of 18th- and 19th-century life.
Source: Library of Virginia historian Brent Tarter discusses the petition for religious freedom that garnered thousands of signatures throughout the state before being presented to the General Assembly and how this important petition helped to shape the Constitution of the United States. on r/Virginia.