Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson

Politician, Founding Father

Thomas Jefferson was the third President of the United States and the principal author of the Declaration of Independence, advocating for liberty and democracy.

Men Government People Country Law Religious
Born
April 13, 1743
Died
July 4, 1826
Quotes
1.8K
Rank
#181

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Thomas Jefferson quotes (page 21 of 91)

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Thomas Jefferson Politician, Founding Father
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"All eyes are opened, or opening, to the rights of man. The general spread of the light of science has already laid open to every view. The palpable truth, that the mass of mankind has not been born with saddles on their backs, nor a favored few booted and spurred, ready to ride them legitimately, by the grace of god. These are grounds of hope for others. For ourselves, let the annual return of this day forever refresh our recollections of these rights, and an undiminished devotion to them."

4th Of July Eye Men
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Thomas Jefferson Politician, Founding Father
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"To me... it appears that there have been differences of opinion and party differences, from the first establishment of government to the present day, and on the same question which now divides our own country; that these will continue through all future time; that every one takes his side in favor of the many, or of the few, according to his constitution, and the circumstances in which he is placed."

Country Party Differences
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Thomas Jefferson Politician, Founding Father
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"Idleness begets ennui, ennui the hypochondriac, and that a diseased body. No laborious person was ever yet hysterical."

Body Hysterical Ennui
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Thomas Jefferson Politician, Founding Father
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"The man who stops advertising to save money is like the man who stops the clock to save time."

Men Advertising Saving Money
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Thomas Jefferson Politician, Founding Father
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"For if one link in nature's chain might be lost, another might be lost, until the whole of things will vanish by piecemeal."

Nature Environmental Links
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"Every man, and every body of men on earth, possesses the right of self-government. They receive it with their being from the hand of nature. Individuals exercise it by their single will; collections of men by that of their majority; for the law of the majority is the natural law of every society of men."

Change Exercise Men
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Thomas Jefferson Politician, Founding Father
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"In a government bottomed on the will of all, the... liberty of every individual citizen becomes interesting to all."

Freedom 4th Of July Government
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Thomas Jefferson Politician, Founding Father
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"Cultivators of the earth are the most valuable citizens. They are the most vigorous, the most independent, the most virtuous and they are tied to their country and wedded to its liberty and interests by the most lasting bands."

Country Independent Garden
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Thomas Jefferson Politician, Founding Father
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"Never put off your massage until tomorrow if you can get it today."

Today Massage Tomorrow
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"The people of every country are the only safe guardians of their own rights, and are the only instruments which can be used for their destruction. And certainly they would never consent to be so used were they not deceived. To avoid this they should be instructed to a certain degree."

Country Rights People
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Thomas Jefferson Politician, Founding Father
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"I have ever deemed it more honorable and more profitable, too, to set a good example than to follow a bad one."

Example Honorable Profitable
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"Most codes extend their definitions of treason to acts not really against one's country. They do not distinguish between acts against the government, and acts against the oppressions of the government. The latter are virtues, yet have furnished more victims to the executioner than the former. Real treasons are rare; oppressions frequent. The unsuccessful strugglers against tyranny have been the chief martyrs of treason laws in all countries."

Country Real Government
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Thomas Jefferson Politician, Founding Father
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"Born in other countries, yet believing you could be happy in this, our laws acknowledge, as they should do, your right to join us in society, conforming, as I doubt not you will do, to our established rules. That these rules shall be as equal as prudential considerations will admit, will certainly be the aim of our legislatures, general and particular."

Country Believe Law
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Thomas Jefferson Politician, Founding Father
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"The press is the best instrument for enlightening the mind of man, and improving him as a rational, moral and social being"

Men Media Mind
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Thomas Jefferson Politician, Founding Father
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"Our country is too large to have all its affairs directed by a single government. Public servants at such a distance, and from under the eye of their constituents, must, from the circumstance of distance, be unable to administer and overlook all the details necessary for the good government of the citizens; and the same circumstance, by rendering detection impossible to their constituents, will invite public agents to corruption, plunder and waste."

Country Distance Eye
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Thomas Jefferson Politician, Founding Father
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"Scenes are now to take place as will open the eyes of credulity and of insanity itself, to the dangers of a paper medium abandoned to the discretion of avarice and of swindlers."

Eye Insanity Paper
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Thomas Jefferson Politician, Founding Father
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"Bank-paper must be suppressed, and the circulating medium must be restored to the nation to whom it belongs."

Historical Paper Mediums
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Thomas Jefferson Politician, Founding Father
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"One single object . . . [will merit] the endless gratitude of the society: that of restraining the judges from usurping legislation."

Gratitude Judging Politics
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Thomas Jefferson Politician, Founding Father
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"There is... an artificial aristocracy founded on wealth and birth, without either virtue or talents... The artificial aristocracy is a mischievous ingredient in government, and provision should be made to prevent its ascendency."

Government Aristocracy Ingredients
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