FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
PROGRAM TOOLKIT FOR AMERICAN SPACES
This Resource Toolkit is designed for programming at American Spaces to create a greater awareness of the rights outlined in the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights, specifically freedom of religion. This is the second in a series of three First Amendment Toolkits.
LESSON PLANS
Religious Tolerance –This interactive lesson from the Southern Poverty Law Center promotes religious tolerance.
Respect of Religion – This PBS lesson plan has videos and describes various religions and the importance of mutual respect. It is appropriate for intermediate English language learners.
Freedom of Religion | Crash Course Government and Politics – This short video discusses the first amendment and an individual’s right to the freedom of religion.
Separation between Church and State – This lesson plan from Interactive Constitution has videos, lesson plans, and activities.
The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN THE U.S.
The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution reads:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…
Today this means that there is no official state religion. There are about 3,000 religious groups in the United States. James Madison, known as the Father of the Constitution and 4th president, argued that everyone should be able to choose their own religion, and this right is enshrined in our Constitution under the First Amendment.
In 1998, Congress passed the International Religious Freedom Act to ensure that the U.S. government promotes this fundamental right. This law was later amended to include the freedom of conscious to protect the right not to profess or practice any religion. Under this act, Congress receives an annual report known as the International Religious Freedom Report that details the status of religious freedom throughout the world.
Annual reports can be found here.
NATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM DAY
When the White House proclaimed January 16, 2026, as National Religious Freedom Day, President Trump highlighted the history of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom: “In that historic declaration, Founding Father Thomas Jefferson proclaimed that God ‘created the mind to be free’ and that every individual ‘shall be free to profess their opinion in matters of religion.’ These principles, codified into Virginia law on January 16, 1786, later became the foundation of our First Amendment, immortalizing in ink the free exercise of faith.”
MUSEUM EXHIBITIONS
- Library of Congress – This exhibition explores religion and the founding of America.
- USA Pavilion at Expo 2020: Thomas Jefferson’s Quran
- Smithsonian National Museum of American History: This exhibition explores religion in early America.
- National Museum of American Religion – Here’s a historical timeline on the history of religious freedom in America.
PROGRAMMING IDEAS
- Invite activists, exchange alumni, and religious leaders to discuss the importance of pluralism and religious freedom in your local context.
- Invite U.S. officials to discuss how the U.S. promotes religious freedom abroad.
- Create presentations or discussions on this topic using the lesson plans and videos in this kit
- Check out eLibraryUSA for more resources.
The views expressed in these links and resources do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. government.
Updated January 2026
