July, 2009 Summer Institute Workshop
Judith Sargent Murray House, Gloucester, Mass.

Documents for Towards Separation of Church and State - Judith Sargent Murray Protests lesson

The documents contained on this page are used to help Essex County teachers explore the subject of separation of church and state. In the late 1700s, Massachusetts decided to end the practice of community support for one church ( usually the Congregational church) through tax money. In the town of Gloucester, a group of citizens decided to protest the support of the Congregational minister and meetinghouse by refusing to come to meeting and pay their taxes - instead throwing their support to the Universalist minister, John Murray. Judith Sargent, along with her parents and other relatives joined in this protest.

Background paper...

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• Background paper on Religion In Gloucester, Massachusetts
• This paper outlines the basic information on how religion evolved in Gloucester, Mass, from the 1642 through to the early nineteenth century. In many ways this evolution mirrors that of other communities in the state and the nation.It explores the steps community members took to change the way religious institutions were supported and shows how the diversity of religions shaped the organization of town governments as well.

Primary sources....from the Sawyer Free Public Library, Gloucester, MA

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• Town Meeting Minutes, March, 1777 (with transcription) .pdf
• This set of minutes of the town meeting calls for a vote concerning asking the Universalist minister, John Murray to leave the town.

Primary sources ....from the Cape Ann Museum, Gloucester, MA

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• First Parish Meeting Minutes, February, 1777 (with transcription) .pdf
• This set of minutes references a letter sent to some parishoners who had protested going to the Congregational meeting. Their response was not acceptable to the congregation.

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• First Parish Warrants, 1787 and 1791 (with transcriptions) .pdf
• A warrant lists the topics to be duscussed at an upcoming town meeting. On these warrants, the subject of support for the Congregational minister and a separation of taxes paid by the adherents of John Murray are listed.

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• Records of the Independent Christian Church, Partial List of Subscribers, ( with transcription) .pdf
• This is a partial list of the members of the Independent Christian Church of Gloucester, later known as the Universalists. The people who had protested payment of taxes that supported the Congregational minister are listed here. Of note is Judtith Stevens ( later to be Judith Sargent Murray) and some of her relations..

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• Records of the Independent Christian Church, Copy of Act to Incorporate, 1792, (with transcription) .pdf
• This act of incorporation lists the male members of the newly formed church and explicitly states that they should not be liable to support other churches within the town through governmental town taxes. It is a beautifully written document and contains the signature of John Hancock, then governor of the state.

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• Records of the Independent Christian Church, Meeting Minutes, March, 1795 (with transcription) .pdf
• This set of minutes shows how the support of churches has come full circle. The parishoners vote to create a tax amongst themselves to support the minister and the doings of the church. While no longer mandated by the town, the members of this church use the same language and structure to provide money to finance their religion.

Other websites of interest...

Judith Sargent Murray Society ... - the Judith Sargent Murray Society is dedicated to honoring the life and legacy of the eighteenth-century essayist, poet, and playwright who was among America's earliest champions of female equality, education, economic independence, and political engagement.

Universalism in Gloucester - a link to a Google Book selection, written in the late 1800s on the start of Universalism in Gloucester, MA

Information on John Murray from Murray Grove website