; Whereas the Anglican Church in Virginia was very restrictive as to what people were allowed to read, who was allowed to preach, and how they were allowed to preach; Whereas Thomas Jefferson advocated on behalf of Baptists in Virginia to sever Virginia’s ties to the Anglican Church and ensure religious liberties for Virginian Christians of all denominations and beliefs; Whereas the Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom was one of the most important accomplishments of Thomas Jefferson’s life, as it formally established religious freedom in the State of Virginia; Whereas Thomas Jefferson’s work in ensuring religious freedom in Virginia paved the way for the First Amendment in the United States Constitution’s Bill of Rights, which says that, Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof ; Whereas the First Amendment protects the rights of all Americans to worship freely, regardless of their religious beliefs; Whereas over 40 percent of Americans identify as Protestants, with thousands of Protestant denominations, active in every State and territory of the United States; Whereas almost all United States Presidents have identified as Protestants, with nearly half identifying as Episcopalian or Presbyterian; and Whereas the Protestant Reformation is one of the most successful religious movements in history, and was influential in the founding of the United States of America: Now, therefore, be it