Wrote a letter to the Danbury Baptist Association in which he explained why he did not proclaim national days of Thanksgiving and fasting. He wrote that the legislature makes no laws respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the exercise thereof, thus building a wall of separation between church and state. From this letter "Seperation of Church and State" was coined. Thomas Jefferson was born in 1734 at Albermile County, Virginia. Jefferson studied at College of William and Mary. He was also the writer of the Decleration of Independance. Not known for his public speaking he was the "silent partner" in all early political issues of this nation. He would  more frequently use his pen to voice his opinions instead of speeches and political debates which were the norm at the time. He went on to become the third president of the United States and served for two terms. He died July 4,1926

A proponent fo the "High Wall of Seperation" position. He was reacting to half the colonies having adopted laws that provided support for religious institutions. He feared the practice of religious persecution. James Madison was born in 1751 in Orange County Virginia. He attended Princeton ( then called the College of New Jersey). He went on to become a lawyer and more importantly one of the founding fathers of the United States of America. Madison has been referred to as "the father of the Constitution" The modest Madison would reply that the constitution was not "the offspring of a single brain but was the work of many heads and hands" Madison died in the year 1836 in a note he stated "The advice nearest to my heart and deepest to my convictions is that the union of the states be cherished and perpetuated."

John Locke was one of the first proponents for the separation of Church and State. He wrote the Epistolia de Tolerentia (A letter concerning toleration) in 1689. In this letter he criticized England and Henry VIII for having a state religion which set the stage for religious persecution. John Locke. John Locke was born during the Age of Reason. He was educated at Christ Church, Oxford. He studied medicine and rose to a more prestigious position. In his later years he was given a lifestyle in which he could focus on preparing his works for publication. Other major works of his include: Essay Considering Human Understanding and Two treatises of Government. These works secured his position as one of the most influential philosophers of the time.