Whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government. The republican is the only form of government which is not eternally at open or secret war with the rights of mankind. Or have we found angels in the form of kings to govern him? The second office in the government is honorable and easy; the first is but a splendid misery. A brief selections of quotations from Thomas Jefferson’s papers at the Library of Congress. In essence the grounds for revolution were two: the offending government had to have moved away from the very reason for its being, namely the protection of each individual’s life, liberty, and property (unfortunately too vaguely expressed here as “the pursuit of happiness”); and that there is a clear pattern of behaviour which proves that there is a “design” to create a despotic government over the people. A specific quote about the dangers of an oversized government has been widely attributed to Thomas Jefferson, the 3rd president of the United States.It wasn’t him. In spite of these restrictions Jefferson obviously thought both conditions had been satisfied by July 1776 and that this therefore established the right to revolution on the part of the American colonists. Jefferson Library. Votes: 2, The republican is the only form of government which is not eternally at open or secret war with the rights of mankind. Thomas Jefferson, Joyce Appleby, Terence Ball (1999). Votes: 2, The care of human life and happiness, and not their destruction, is the first and only object of good government. So there are many Jefferson quotes regarding revolution which to explain (and just as many misquotes). It is inconsistent with our government. --Thomas Jefferson: National Bank Opinion, 1791. A specific quote about the dangers of an oversized government has been widely attributed to Thomas Jefferson, the 3rd president of the United States.It wasn’t him. It was for this reason that he and his colleagues provided such a long list of grievances against the British monarch in order to prove to the world that their reasons for revolt were serious, longstanding, and many. Votes: 2, Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter. Other attributions: Samuel Adams, Thomas Paine. Our Third President of the United States of America His Presidency was from 1801 to 1809 He was Born on April 13, 1743 in Albemarle County, Virginia He Died on July 4, 1826 in Monticello in Virginia Take Jefferson’s advice and defend your 2nd Amendment rights. In fact, a great many quotes attributed to Jefferson -- including the one about a “government big enough” -- have nothing to do with him at all! 39. I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.-Thomas Jefferson, Government (627 quotes). Tags: a quote about money a quote about thomas jefferson action will delineate and define you all about thomas jefferson all men are created equal quote all mens are not same quotes always be cool quotes an armed society is a polite society thomas jefferson an oriental odyssey wikipedia anti christian quotes from founding fathers anti democracy quotes anti government quotes … Votes: 2, It is error alone which needs the support of government. "The true barriers of our liberty are our State governments; and the wisest conservative power ever contrived by man, is that of which our Revolution and present government found us possessed." -- Thomas Jefferson. Votes: 2, I hope we shall crush in its birth the aristocracy of our monied corporations which dare already to challenge our government to a trial by strength, and bid defiance to the laws of our country. Status: We have not found any evidence that Thomas Jefferson said or wrote, "When government fears the people, there is liberty. More information on this quote, including a list of print references from the 1950s and 1960s. Extract from Thomas Jefferson’s “Summary View of the Rights of British America,” July 1774 [Quote] … History, in general, only informs us of what bad government is. So confident am I in the intentions, as well as wisdom, of the government, that I shall always be satisfied that what is not done, either cannot, or ought not to be done. 2. If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and … American - President April 13, 1743 - July 4, 1826 See also: Quotes about Thomas Jefferson The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. Jefferson took pains to argue that the right of revolution was a limited one, in the sense that one could not do this for weak or frivolous reasons (or “light and transient causes”). The Declaration of Independence I always considered as a theatrical show. --Thomas Jefferson to … Educate and inform the whole mass of the people. Subscribe Thomas Jefferson — American President born on April 13, 1743, died on July 04, 1826 Thomas Jefferson was an American Founding Father, the principal author of the Declaration of Independence, and the third President of the United States. Jefferson Library. Liberty Fund, Inc. All rights reserved. "Finding Jefferson Quotations." When the people fear the government, there is tyranny," nor any evidence that he wrote its listed variations. Don’t surrender them. Quote by Thomas Jefferson "If people let the government decide what foods they eat and what medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in as sorry a state as are the souls who live under tyranny." Today is the 275th birthday of Thomas Jefferson. Votes: 2, Sometimes it is said that man cannot be trusted with the government of himself. Leave all the afternoon for exercise and recreation, which are as necessary as reading. Votes: 4 Thomas Jefferson Every people may establish what form of government they please, and change it as they please, the will of the nation being the only thing essential. Votes: 2 Let history answer this question. He was the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. The spirit of resistance to government is so valuable on certain occasions that I wish it to be always kept alive. I hope we shall crush in its birth the aristocracy of our monied corporations which dare already to challenge our government to a trial by strength, and bid defiance to the laws of our country. I do not take a single newspaper, nor read one a month, and I feel myself infinitely the happier for it. But when the government is afraid of the people, that's liberty. The designation in the form, "Papers, 1:423," is a reference to the location of the quote in The Papers of Thomas Jefferson. Thomas Jefferson, Joyce Appleby, Terence Ball (1999). Experience hath shewn, that even under the best forms of government those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny. Votes: 2, So confident am I in the intentions, as well as wisdom, of the government, that I shall always be satisfied that what is not done, either cannot, or ought not to be done. Votes: 2, Experience hath shewn, that even under the best forms of government those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny. God And Government Thomas Jefferson Quotes. Votes: 2, A Bill of Rights is what the people are entitled to against every government, and what no just government should refuse, or rest on inference. The Big Apple. Votes: 2, I own that I am not a friend to a very energetic government. Sometimes it is said that man cannot be trusted with the government of himself. It is error alone which needs the support of government. “I'm a greater believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it” ― Thomas Jefferson. No government ought to be without censors; and where the press is free no one ever will. View all Thomas Jefferson Quotes. Free Daily Quotes. Votes: 2, Conquest is not in our principles. View all Thomas Jefferson Quotes [The] Bank of the United States... is one of the most deadly hostility existing, against the principles and form of our Constitution... An institution like this, penetrating by its branches every part of the Union, acting by command and … Conquest is not in our principles. 38. Votes: 2, The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground. Votes: 2, If we can but prevent the government from wasting the labours of the people, under the pretence of taking care of them, they must become happy. Since our third president would object to us celebrating his birthday (“The only birthday I ever commemorate,” Jefferson once said, “is that of our Independence, the Fourth of July.”) let’s take this opportunity to instead look at six quotes by Jefferson on liberty and government. "Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom." Votes: 0, Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one. "Finding Jefferson Quotations." The people themselves are its only safe depositories. His papers at the Library of Congress are a rich storehouse of his thoughts and ideas expressed both in official correspondence and in private letters. Extract from Thomas Jefferson’s “Summary View of the Rights of British America,” July 1774 [Quote] the whole art of government consists in the art of being honest. More information on this quote, including a list of print references from the 1950s and 1960s. — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness… it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.****. Jefferson ran away with all the stage effect of that... and all the glory of it. If we can but prevent the government from wasting the labours of the people, under the pretence of taking care of them, they must become happy. History, in general, only informs us of what bad government is. Top 100 Thomas Jefferson Quotes 1. Status: We have not found any evidence that Thomas Jefferson said or wrote, "When government fears the people, there is liberty. Thomas Jefferson I hope we shall crush in its birth the aristocracy of our monied corporations which dare already to challenge our government to a trial by strength, and bid defiance to the laws of our country. In fact, a great many quotes attributed to Jefferson -- including the one about a “government big enough” -- have nothing to do with him at all! https://www.swiggyquotes.com/topics/thomas-jefferson-freedom-liberty-quotes Can he, then be trusted with the government of others? That government is the strongest of which every man feels himself a part. [ 23+ Thomas Jefferson Govt. Our Third President of the United States of America His Presidency was from 1801 to 1809 He was Born on April 13, 1743 in Albemarle County, Virginia He Died on July 4, 1826 in Monticello in Virginia Votes: 2, That government is the strongest of which every man feels himself a part. Thomas Jefferson > Quotes > Quotable Quote “I am not an advocate for frequent changes in laws and Constitutions. It is always oppressive. We present Jefferson’s full Nov. 1787 “Tree of Liberty” letterbelow, fir… Every government degenerates when trusted to the rulers of the people alone. “Jefferson: Political Writings”, p.235, Cambridge University Press The spirit of resistance to government is so valuable on certain occasions that I wish it to be always kept alive. "I'm a greater… Can he, then be trusted with the government of others? There is no record of Jefferson having written or … Thomas Jefferson Quotes “I prefer dangerous freedom over peaceful slavery.” “I’m a greater believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it.” “Honesty is the first chapter […] Selected Quotations from the Thomas Jefferson Papers. Votes: 2, I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.-Thomas Jefferson Surrendering your weapons will make you easy prey for criminals and the government, as Jefferson points out. Jefferson (199 quotes). When the people are afraid of the government, that's tyranny. Earliest known appearance in print, attributed to Thomas Jefferson: 19943. Quotes ] 2. Votes: 2, Every government degenerates when trusted to the rulers of the people alone. Social media users are sharing a purported quote by Founding Father and former President Thomas Jefferson, who is frequently misattributed by politicians and social media users. Copyright ©2003 – 2021, --Thomas Jefferson: National Bank Opinion, 1791. Thomas Jefferson Quotes on Government (40 Quotes) We are endeavoring, too, to reduce the government to the practice of a rigorous economy, to avoid burdening the people, and arming the magistrate with patronage of money, which might be used to corrupt and undermine the principles of our government —Thomas Jefferson. Thomas Jefferson quotes to … The Big Apple. Thomas Paine, The Declaration of Independence I always considered as a theatrical show. The most famous and perhaps most eloquent expression of a people’s right to “dissolve the political bands” which tie them together was penned by Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) in the Declaration of Independence: When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation…. We've compiled a list of the top 100 famous Jefferson quotes and sayings on life, liberty, religion, happiness, people, work, wisdom and more. Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter. Today is the 275th birthday of Thomas Jefferson. The quote above is a paraphrase taken from Jefferson… The care of human life and happiness, and not their destruction, is the first and only object of good government. – Thomas Jefferson . Jefferson ran away with all the stage effect of that... and all the glory of it. Since our third president would object to us celebrating his birthday (“The only birthday I ever commemorate,” Jefferson once said, “is that of our Independence, the Fourth of July.”) let’s take this opportunity to instead look at six quotes by Jefferson on liberty and government. A Facebook meme misattributes a quote from a 1986 book to Founding Father Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson writes from Paris to Edward Carrington, whom Jefferson sent as a delegate to the Continental Congress from 1786 to 1788, on the importance of a free press to keep government in check. These inspirational Thomas Jefferson quotes will change your life. Votes: 4 The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground. Thomas Jefferson was the author of the Declaration of Independence (1776) and the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom (1777), founder of the University of Virginia (1819), the third president of the United States (1801–1809). They will just have more potential prey to attack and rob, which I think is the point of this Thomas Jefferson quote about gun control. "FE 9:234" refers to the Ford Edition of the writings. Votes: 2, The spirit of resistance to government is so valuable on certain occasions that I wish it to be always kept alive. Barry Popik. Jefferson on the right to change one’s government (1776) The most famous and perhaps most eloquent expression of a people’s right to “dissolve the political bands” which tie them together was penned by Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) in the Declaration of Independence: The people themselves are its only safe depositories. Thomas Jefferson wrote that "the strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms" is to "protect themselves against tyranny in government." I will rather … Thomas Jefferson Quotes On Freedom, Liberty, Democracy, Government Thomas Jefferson was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Father. Enjoy these leadership quotes by Thomas Jefferson. Enjoy these leadership quotes by Thomas Jefferson. Votes: 4 Thomas Jefferson never said, “every generation needs a new revolution”, but he did say, “a little rebellion now and then is a good thing.” Thomas Jefferson spoke of revolution often, commented on rebellions, and wrote the Declaration of Independence. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.—That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Let history answer this question. It is always oppressive. Thomas Jefferson was a prolific writer. A Bill of Rights is what the people are entitled to against every government, and what no just government should refuse, or rest on inference. Thomas Jefferson - Government Quotes 145 Sourced Quotes. Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one. Yes, my grandfather worked with Thomas Edison on the electric car, and he sold electric cars at the 1900 World's Fair in Paris. – Thomas Jefferson . Votes: 2, No government ought to be without censors; and where the press is free no one ever will. Votes: 2, Whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government. I own that I am not a friend to a very energetic government. Jefferson on the right to change one’s government (1776) The most famous and perhaps most eloquent expression of a people’s right to “dissolve the political bands” which tie them together was penned by Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) in the Declaration of Independence: Looking for the best Thomas Jefferson quotes? John Adams, Yes, my grandfather worked with Thomas Edison on the electric car, and he sold electric cars at the 1900 World's Fair in Paris. Racial rhetoric has been entwined with government from the start, all the way back to when the enemy was not Obamacare but the Grand Army of the Republic (and further in the past than that: Thomas Jefferson, after all, was derided as 'the Negro President'). --Thomas Jefferson to A. L. C. Destutt de Tracy, 1811. But laws and institutions must go … Barry Popik. Truth can stand by itself. Laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the general progress of the human mind. "The true barriers of our liberty are our State governments; and the wisest conservative power ever contrived by man, is that of which our Revolution and present government found us possessed." It is inconsistent with our government. Truth can stand by itself. The designation in the form, "ME 12:345," refers to the location in The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, (Memorial Edition) Lipscomb and Bergh, editors. – Thomas Jefferson . Al Jardine, 11 wise and frugal Government, wllicll shall restrain men rom injuring one. They are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty. "Government big enough to give you everything you want is big enough to take everything you have." "Government big enough to give you everything you want is big enough to take everything you have." Here is a list of Top 100 Thomas Jefferson quotes on happiness, money, government, life and more. Racial rhetoric has been entwined with government from the start, all the way back to when the enemy was not Obamacare but the Grand Army of the Republic (and further in the past than that: Thomas Jefferson, after all, was derided as 'the Negro President'). “Jefferson: Political Writings”, p.235, Cambridge University Press The spirit of resistance to government is so valuable on certain occasions that I wish it to be always kept alive. Or have we found angels in the form of kings to govern him? Votes: 2, The second office in the government is honorable and easy; the first is but a splendid misery.