Religious Liberty and the Founding
Understand the historical and philosophical origins of the First Amendment’s religion clauses.
In this course, participants explore how the founding generation understood religious liberty and its place in the new nation. Students will trace the political and legal meanings of religious liberty in the United States by untangling its relationship to the separation of church and state and considering how Supreme Court interpretation has evolved over time. The course will close with discussions about how these historical and philosophical contexts inform contemporary challenges to religious liberty and the separation between church and state.
Readings in this class include foundational documents on religious liberty. Students will read the Declaration of Independence, selected state constitutions, various letters and treatises, as well as Supreme Court cases all related to freedom of religion. Teachers taking this course can expect to participate in discussions about how to apply the course content in their classrooms. Participants will also be asked to complete a final curricular project.
This synchronous course is entirely virtual and will be taught by Dr. George Thomas, Burnet C. Wohlford Professor of American Political Institutions at Claremont McKenna College.
Claremont Graduate University will accept applications from many states, but not all of them. Click here to check if your state is on the list before you apply. Teachers will receive 2 graduate credits from Claremont Graduate University upon completion of the course.
Credit from this course can transfer:
Religious Liberty and the Founding
- Week 1: July 6 – July 10, 2026, 10am – 12pm PT
- Week 2: July 13 – July 17, 2026, 10am – 12pm PT
The deadline to apply is May 1, 2026. Please direct any questions to JMC Graduate Consortium Manager, Moyra Eaton, at meaton@gojmc.org
This course is a part of the Jack Miller Center’s Civics Foundations Graduate Consortium, which seeks to provide K-12 teachers with high-impact graduate education centered around American civics and history. Click the link below to read more about the consortium and explore other available courses.