1st amendment By S773881 1628 Petition of Right https://mtsu.edu/first-amendment/page/first-amendment-timeline 1641 The Massachusetts General Court https://mtsu.edu/first-amendment/page/first-amendment-timeline 1663 The new Charter of Rhode Island grants religious freedom. https://mtsu.edu/first-amendment/page/first-amendment-timeline 1689 John Locke’s Letter Concerning Toleration https://mtsu.edu/first-amendment/page/first-amendment-timeline 1708 Connecticut passes the first dissenter statute and allows “full liberty of worship” to Anglicans and Baptists. https://mtsu.edu/first-amendment/page/first-amendment-timeline 1735 New York publisher John Peter Zenger https://mtsu.edu/first-amendment/page/first-amendment-timeline 1771 The State of Virginia jails 50 Baptist worshipers for preaching the Gospel contrary to the Anglican Book of Common Prayer. https://mtsu.edu/first-amendment/page/first-amendment-timeline 1774 Eighteen Baptists are jailed in Massachusetts for refusing to pay taxes that support the Congregational church. https://mtsu.edu/first-amendment/page/first-amendment-timeline 1776 Virginia’s House of Burgesses passes the Virginia Declaration of Rights. https://mtsu.edu/first-amendment/page/first-amendment-timeline 1776 The Continental Congress adopts the final draft of the Declaration of Independence on July 4. https://mtsu.edu/first-amendment/page/first-amendment-timeline 1777 Thomas Jefferson completes his first draft of a Virginia state bill for religious freedom https://mtsu.edu/first-amendment/page/first-amendment-timeline 1789 1st amendment https://www.timetoast.com/timelines/1887737/edit