Revolution and Evolution

The Vestry Books document the evolution of Lynnhaven and Elizabeth City Parishes during the
course of and after the Revolutionary War (1775-1783), which brought about the
disestablishment of the Church of England as the official religion in Virginia and the adoption of
the 1786 Statute of Religious Freedom. In 1776, the Virginia General Assembly exempted
dissenters from paying mandatory taxes to support Anglican clergy salaries. The Statute of
Religious Freedom formally separated church and state, completely ending the practice of
Anglican Parishes collecting taxes and performing governmental functions and also leading to
the reconstitution of Anglican Parishes and Vestries as entities of the Protestant Episcopal
Church of the United States.