--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Deists of Jefferson’s generation fought…" description: "\"“Deists of Jefferson’s generation fought tax support for religious institutions at a time when the only influential American religious sects were Prote..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e48/susan-jacoby-10682_civil-war_deists-of-jefferson-s-generation-fought_1020527.jpg" --- # Deists of Jefferson’s generation fought tax support for… ![“Deists of Jefferson’s generation fought tax support for religious institutions at a time when the only influential American religious sects were Protestant. Their nineteenth-century successors were unquestionably appalled when the Roman Catholic Church became the first large religious denomination…” quote by Susan Jacoby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e48/susan-jacoby-10682_civil-war_deists-of-jefferson-s-generation-fought_1020527.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e48/susan-jacoby-10682_civil-war_deists-of-jefferson-s-generation-fought_1020527.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e48/susan-jacoby-10682_civil-war_deists-of-jefferson-s-generation-fought_1020527.jpg) > ““Deists of Jefferson’s generation fought tax support for religious institutions at a time when the only influential American religious sects were Protestant. Their nineteenth-century successors were unquestionably appalled when the Roman Catholic Church became the first large religious denomination to establish its own school system in America, and they viewed the growth of Catholic schools as a threat to the expansion of public education—a major goal of all social reformers after the Civil War.”” [Susan Jacoby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jacoby/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage describes how early American deists opposed public funding for religion, and later Protestants feared Catholic schools threatened public education after the Civil War. **In simple terms:** Early deists opposed religious tax support; later Protestants saw Catholic schools as a threat to public education. Key Takeaway Recognize how religious bias can shape education policy. Themes religion education politics history social reform Mood reflective analytical Type historical political educational When to use this quote - policy debates - school board meetings - community activism - historical research Key Concepts secularism church-state separation public vs private schooling Questions to Reflect On - How do religious motivations influence education policy? - What lessons can modern reformers learn from this history? A Different Perspective Some argue Catholic schools also expanded educational access for marginalized groups. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Civil war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-war/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Roman catholic church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/roman-catholic-church/) ## Related quotes > [It is easy to forget, since the Catholic Church is now the only large American religious denomination whose ecclesiastical hierarchy continues to oppose birth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jacoby/it-is-easy-to-forget-since-the-catholic-church-is-now-the-only-large/) [Susan Jacoby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jacoby/) > [Once the Roman Catholic Church in the West became the church most closely connected with the state, the Roman Catholic Church did not recognize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jacoby/once-the-roman-catholic-church-in-the-west-became-the-church-most/) [Susan Jacoby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jacoby/) > [“The evangelical church in America has, to a large extent, been co-opted by an American, religious version of the kingdom of the world. 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