Why is George Washington famous and How did he help others?
We all know about George Washington (henceforth, GW–just don’t confuse him with our present “GW”) and the apple tree. We all know of General GW’s military successes. We know he was our first President. But, many are unaware of GW’s stance on one of our nation’s fundamental precepts: the freedom of religion and the separation of church and state. . In GW’s 1790 reply to the Jewish community of Newport, Rhode Island, he wrote: . “…The Citizens of the United States of America have a right to applaud themselves for giving to Mankind examples of an enlarged and liberal policy: a policy worthy of imitation. All possess alike liberty of conscience and immunities of citizenship. It is now no more that toleration is spoken of, as if it was by the indulgence of one class of people that another enjoyed the exercise of their inherent natural rights. For happily the Government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance, requires only that they who live
