First Freedom Center
Encyclopedia
The First Freedom Center is a politically and religiously neutral 501(c)(3) education organization located in Richmond
, Virginia
's state capital.
The mission of the First Freedom Center is to advance the fundament human rights of freedom of religion and freedom of conscience. Located in the cobblestone district of downtown Richmond, the Center’s offices sit adjacent to the site where Thomas Jefferson
's Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom
was enacted into law in 1786. The work of the First Freedom Center is to build on this historic legacy.
The First Freedom Center also honors National Religious Freedom Day
every January 16 by hosting the First Freedom Awards.
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
's state capital.
The mission of the First Freedom Center is to advance the fundament human rights of freedom of religion and freedom of conscience. Located in the cobblestone district of downtown Richmond, the Center’s offices sit adjacent to the site where Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...
's Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom
Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom
The Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom was drafted in 1777 by Thomas Jefferson in the city of Fredericksburg, Virginia. In 1786, the Assembly enacted the statute into the state's law...
was enacted into law in 1786. The work of the First Freedom Center is to build on this historic legacy.
The First Freedom Center also honors National Religious Freedom Day
National Religious Freedom Day
National Religious Freedom Day commemorates the Virginia General Assembly's adoption of Thomas Jefferson's landmark Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom on January 16, 1786. This vital document became the basis for the separation of church and state, and led to freedom of religion for all...
every January 16 by hosting the First Freedom Awards.