The "separation between church and state" has been an ongoing debate for a long time in American history. What is meant by this, is that government should stay out of the church's business. Religion has been a part of America for some time now and continues to be now. The first amendment, also known as the establishment clause, states "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances" (Jefferson, 1789). The constitution created this law to allow individuals as well as religious groups to be able to practice their faith, however they want with complete freedom without the interference from government as well as other groups. .
The saying "separation between church and state" was first introduced in Thomas Jefferson's letter to the Danbury Baptist Association where writes "Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between Man & his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, & not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should 'make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,' thus building a wall of separation between Church and State" (Jefferson, 1802). Jefferson clearly explained to the priest about how they need not fear government interfering with their religious activities because the Bill of Rights declares that there shall be no establishment of a national church. This decision of no one main church mainly derived from the result of Henry VIII's tyrannical government after gaining more power from taking charge of religion by creating his own central church once he was denied marriage to Catherine of Aragon.