etter he expressed his concerns about the omission of a bill of rights that would protect certain unalienable rights. Although Jefferson did not become President until years later, his words influenced the actions of many people.The first ten amendments to the Constitution came in 1789--two years after Jefferson wrote the letter concerning the Constitution to Madison. The amendments were prepared by Madison but influenced by Jefferson. The first amendment satisfied Jefferson very much because it stated the following: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof... (Stewart, 8)." Jefferson was bitterly persecuted by the press and the religious leaders of the day for his beliefs. Although persecuted for his various beliefs, he continued to stand up for what he believed to be true. He expressed his beliefs in private letters to various people and in occasional speeches; sharing his beliefs through private letters helped avoid the scrutiny of the press and influence others for good. The year he was first elected president he wrote a letter to Benjamin Rush, out of which comes the words inscribed on the Jefferson Memorial in Washington DC; Jefferson wrote the following in the letter:They (the clergy) believe that any portion of power confided to me, will be exerted in opposition to their schemes. And they believe rightly: for I have sworn upon the altar of God, eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man. But this is all they have to fear from me: and enough too in their opinion (Padover, 263).Many religious leaders of the day viewed Jefferson as an atheist, but in actuality, Jefferson centered his life and his character on the doctrines of Jesus. He explained the following in another letter to Benjamin Rush:To the corruptions of Christianity I am indeed opposed; but not to the genuine precepts of Jesus himself. I am a Christian, in the onl...
