“Liberty Preserved”: The Foundation of Our Freedom

The essay “Liberty Preserved: The Foundation of Our Freedom” won the 2026 Fidelity Month high school essay contest. The contest asked students to connect themes of Fidelity Month with patriotism as the nation approaches its semiquincentennial.

In the essay, Lara Cratty discusses the historical tension between religious instruction and civil liberties. She highlights a 1784 proposal by Virginia Governor Patrick Henry to use tax money to hire Christian teachers for schools. While Henry argued this would promote piety, James Madison countered in his “Memorial and Remonstrance Against Religious Assessments” that state-funded religious instruction threatened civil freedom. Madison argued that government interference in religion could lead to the loss of other fundamental rights, such as the right to vote.

The essay also notes the religious diversity among the Founding Fathers, including Episcopalians, deists, and those with varying beliefs. Cratty mentions that figures like Presbyterian minister John Witherspoon also addressed the role of religion within a democracy during that era.