A Sample

I thought you might be interested in reading an excerpt from the Jefferson book. Here is the Introduction:

As with my previous books published by The History Press, I have labored through what I consider to be considerable research to bring to light a far too overlooked moment in time that took place in the history of Fredericksburg. My first The History Press book, Historic Churches of Fredericksburg: Houses of the Holy, told the story of the five historic churches in the city before, during and after the Civil War. The second, The Civil War in Spotsylvania County: Confederate Campfires at the Crossroads, told the story of the southern solders’ lives on and off the battlefield while in the adjacent county. Both of these books explored subjects that had not been covered before—at least not in the way I covered them.

My relationship with Thomas Jefferson began as a child on a family trip to Monticello. I remember being captivated by what I saw and heard. As I became an adult—and especially as a historian—Jefferson became a bit of an obsession. The complexity of the man fascinates me. Is he a hero? Not to me. I recognize his flaws just as I recognize his contributions. That is what makes him so interesting. He was a man who did so many extraordinary things, but he is also guilty of committing some undefendable things. In the end, Jefferson is human, not some faultless patriotic idol, as he is so often portrayed.

Referred to as one of the country’s most historic cities, the town of Fredericksburg is steeped in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century historic events. Historians have done an extremely good job commemorating the Battle of Fredericksburg (clearly the city’s marquee event) in many books, but I am not aware of any that have focused specifically on Thomas Jefferson’s time in Fredericksburg in 1777, when he drafted the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom.

I was surprised at the amount of reference material I was able to compile from multiple sources. The test was to know where to look. In addition to the aforementioned sources, Thomas E. Buckley’s Establishing Religious Freedom: Jefferson’s Statute in Virginia was a great reference, albeit not the easiest read. I was also able to use multiple online sources, including the National Archive’s Founders Online and the Thomas Jefferson Encyclopedia online at Monticello.

You will note this book contains two significant themes: Thomas Jefferson in relation to the City of Fredericksburg and the result of his drafting of the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom, now more commonly known as the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom. You will also see that this book is filled with many letters from Jefferson regarding the city and his statute. This is because I wanted this story to be reinforced by the words of the man himself.

My goal with a book of this length is to give you a glimpse into this far too overlooked and neglected story. It is my hope that this book will not only be a pleasurable read but also become a reference for the next historian who tackles this subject. I have also included a list of historical sites in the City of Fredericksburg that are related to this story (see appendix E). This will be a valuable resource for those who are interested in following in the footsteps of this story’s participants. Let’s begin.

Prior to his death, Thomas Jefferson left behind specific instructions for the obelisk monument that was to mark his grave. In addition to sketching out the exact size and shape of the stone, he requested:

The following would be to my Manes the most gratifying.
On the grave
a plain die or cube of 3. f. without any mouldings, surmounted by an
Obelisk of 6. f. height, each of a single stone: on the faces of the Obelisk
the following inscription, & not a word more
Here was buried
Thomas Jefferson
Author of the Declaration of American Independence
of the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom
& Father of the University of Virginia.
because by these, as testimonials that I have lived, I wish most to be
remembered. to be of the coarse stone of which my columns are made, that
no one might be tempted hereafter to destroy it for the value of the materials.
my bust by Ceracchi, with the pedestal and truncated column on which it
stands, might be given to the University if they would place it in the Dome
room of the Rotunda. On the Die of the obelisk might be engraved
Born Apr. 2. 1743. O. S.
Died —

These contributions were, in his words, the “testimonials that I have lived, I wish most to be remembered.” It is curious that with all his contributions, such as the political offices he held (president of the United States being one), he selected these three specific memories. Author of the Declaration of American Independence is obvious. Father of the University of Virginia is understandable. But the astonishing choice is the author of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom. It’s not that this is unimportant, but of all his achievements, this one is often overlooked.

Jefferson crafted this statute not in Philadelphia or one of the other busy cities of the day. He wrote it while staying in a small Virginia town on the Rappahannock River called Fredericksburg. Jefferson often passed through the town on his journeys to and from Monticello. Jefferson was a second cousin of Ann Randolph Fitzhugh and a good friend of William Fitzhugh, the builders of one of the town’s largest estates called Chatham.

In 1777, Jefferson stayed at Weedon’s Tavern (then called Smith’s) in Fredericksburg, where he penned the actual life-altering document. It established the right of every man and woman to their own religious beliefs and opinions. The Virginia General Assembly passed the landmark statute in 1786, and in 1791, it became the basis for the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

The event not only had a lasting effect on the country, but it more specifically had a permanent effect on the city where the proposition was written. In 1932, the Fredericksburg City Council commissioned St. Clair Brooks, a stonemason, to erect a monument commemorating Jefferson’s bill. It is built from stones sent from churches across the country. Each January, the Religious Freedom Day parade hits the streets of downtown Fredericksburg to commemorate the anniversary of Jefferson drafting the statute.

However, the story of Jefferson’s experiences in Fredericksburg and drafting the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom is much more than just a memorial and parade.