On May 25, 1825, a group of Unitarian ministers in Boston met and voted to charter an association that would help to organize the growing Unitarian religious movement in the United States – and of course, in its own very Unitarian way, “evangelize” the newly-established liberal religious denomination. The American Unitarian Association (AUA), which was chartered the very next day, is one of the two precursor organizations to the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA). And this year, we are celebrating that milestone bicentennial birthday!

It’s important to highlight that history because it was those early Unitarians whose beliefs, sermons, civic leadership and writings formed the intellectual underpinnings for core American values that are now under threat. We can thank prominent American Unitarians like Rev. William Ellery Channing, the leading Unitarian preacher whose ideas influenced both transcendentalism and the formalization of Unitarianism as a religious practice, and writer Margaret Fuller, who was an advocate for women and editor of The Dial, for providing theological and ethical grounding for the concepts of individual rights and liberties, ideas that are so necessary for how we think about “civil liberties” today.

It was Channing who emphasized the idea of “self-culture” as a means of spiritual growth, making the individual believer’s faith journey a matter of central importance in American religion. And it was Margaret Fuller who laid claim to the still-echoing truth that all persons, including women, should have the opportunity to fully realize their individual potential and exercise both intellectual and social independence.

In 2025, we know that the idea of “civil liberties” is severely threatened. Just a few days ago, a federal official floated the idea of suspending the writ of habeas corpus, which would deny those arrested by the federal government the right to challenge their detention in court. Federal officials are infringing on Constitutional rights, including the First Amendment-protected freedom of speech and right to practice our faith freely, and due process. Unitarian Universalists (UUs) in the United States want our civil rights – indeed the civil rights of all who live in this country — respected not only because we are Americans, but because they are integral to our religious beliefs, shared values, and traditions as UUs.

So Happy 200th Birthday – may we continue to be inspired by the ideals that put Love at the center, protect populations made vulnerable by oppressive policies, and provide liberation and communal care to all people of good will.

Where Can I Learn More?

At UU World, of course! The Spring/Summer 2025 edition of UU World has more on the 200th anniversary of the founding of the American Unitarian Association. You can read articles on Rev. William Ellery Channing’s Baltimore Sermon, the UUA’s own Rev. Nancy McDonald Ladd’s humorous reimagining of the association’s founding, and more at UUWorld.org.

And we have a landing page. UUWorld.org has created a landing page honoring the AUA’s 200th birthday, which includes “a curated collection of stories on AUA history that remind us of the continued relevance of the struggle for collective liberation.” The URL is www.uuworld.org/aua200.

The More You Know

Did you know that the British and Foreign Unitarian Association was also founded — by coincidence — on May 26, 1825? That organization was the precursor to their current institution, the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches. You can learn more about them at unitarians.org.uk. And please watch this video at YouTube of the UUA’s President, Rev. Dr. Sofía Betancourt and Liz Slade, Chief Officer of the British Unitarian General Assembly, commemorating this anniversary.