By Reed Richardi
In early America dissenting Baptists played a key role in the fight for religious liberty and the disestablishment of state churches. But while many Baptists fought for liberty for themselves, only a few fought for religious liberty for everyone. John Leland was one of those few. Leland was not only the most prominent Baptist but also the most prominent religious figure of the founding era to champion universal religious freedom. He was an energetic and popular preacher, witty writer, friend to presidents, and chauffer of a “Mammoth Cheese,” who radically advocated for freedom for Protestants, Catholics, Jews, Pagans, Muslims, Atheists, and slaves. The legacy of John Leland includes his influence on James Madison and the Bill of Rights, his delivery of a letter and a 1,235-pound wheel of cheese to Thomas Jefferson (and Jefferson’s famous reply to the Danbury Baptists), and finally his fight against Sabbath legislation in early-nineteenth-century America.