Az Eszterházy Károly Tanárképző Főiskola Tudományos Közleményei. 1993. [Vol. 1.] Eger Journal of American Studies. (Acta Academiae Paedagogicae Agriensis : Nova series ; Tom. 21)

STUDIES - András Tarnóc: "Jefferson Still Survives".

established church as he examined Virginia's jurisdiction over spiritual matters.

8 While laws abridging religious freedom had been eliminated, the state's assembly could still punish individuals deemed to be heretics for denying the existence of God or of the Holy Trinity. Jefferson having branded this practice "religious slavery"

9 argued that government could only control those areas of individual life that had been surrendered to it. Human conscience, or the spiritual sphere could have but one ruler, God itself. Jefferson eloquently limited the authority of government to the protection of one's "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" asserting that diverse religious views did not threaten one's natural rights. "The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. But it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no god. It neither picks my pocket, nor breaks my leg."

1

0 Although the General Assembly enacted the statute in 1786, freedom of religion was not federally recognized in the United States until the ratification of the Bill of Rights in 1791. Thomas Jefferson's last gift to posterity was the University of Virginia. Believing that the best guarantee of democracy was an educated citizenry Jefferson strove to establish a school dedicated to the inculcation of the values of the Enlightenment. In 1779 he put forth a threepartite plan to promote public education calling for the establishment of public elementary schools, reforming the College of William and Mary and the creation of a state library. The Northwest Ordinance co-sponsored by him divided the territories between the Mississippi and Ohio rivers to townships with 36 sections and the income derived from one section was set aside for public schools. In an 1810 letter to Governor John Tyler, Jefferson described public schools and public education as the foundations of democracy. Having retired from the Presidency Jefferson decided to devote all his efforts to the 8 Ibid., p. 56. 9 Thomas Jefferson, Writings. (The Library of America, 1984), p. 285. 1

0 Ibid., p. 285. 122