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Thomas Jefferson

100 quotes

Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826) was an American Founding Father who served as the third President of the United States. He was the principal author of the Declaration of Independence, a champion of democracy, religious freedom, and individual rights. Jefferson was also an architect, inventor, and founder of the University of Virginia.

“Timid men prefer the calm of despotism to the tempestuous sea of liberty.”

— Thomas Jefferson

Men

All Quotes by Thomas Jefferson

“Wisdom I know is social. She seeks her fellows. But Beauty is jealous, and illy bears the presence of a rival.”

— Thomas Jefferson

Beauty

“Truth is certainly a branch of morality and a very important one to society.”

— Thomas Jefferson

Society

“When a man assumes a public trust he should consider himself a public property.”

— Thomas Jefferson

Trust

“That government is the strongest of which every man feels himself a part.”

— Thomas Jefferson

Government

“When the people fear the government, there is tyranny. When the government fears the people, there is liberty.”

— Thomas Jefferson

Fear

“Timid men prefer the calm of despotism to the tempestuous sea of liberty.”

— Thomas Jefferson

Men

“Determine never to be idle. No person will have occasion to complain of the want of time who never loses any. It is wonderful how much may be done if we are always doing.”

— Thomas Jefferson

Motivational

“It is in our lives and not our words that our religion must be read.”

— Thomas Jefferson

Religion

“To penetrate and dissipate these clouds of darkness, the general mind must be strengthened by education.”

— Thomas Jefferson

Education

“But friendship is precious, not only in the shade, but in the sunshine of life, and thanks to a benevolent arrangement the greater part of life is sunshine.”

— Thomas Jefferson

Friendship

“The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.”

— Thomas Jefferson

Time

“I have seen enough of one war never to wish to see another.”

— Thomas Jefferson

War

“There is not a truth existing which I fear... or would wish unknown to the whole world.”

— Thomas Jefferson

Fear

“Leave all the afternoon for exercise and recreation, which are as necessary as reading. I will rather say more necessary because health is worth more than learning.”

— Thomas Jefferson

Fitness

“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.”

— Thomas Jefferson

Best

“History, in general, only informs us of what bad government is.”

— Thomas Jefferson

Government

“A wise and frugal Government, which shall restrain men from injuring one another, which shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned. This is the sum of good government, and this is necessary to close the circlue of our felicities.”

— Thomas Jefferson

Good

“I find that he is happiest of whom the world says least, good or bad.”

— Thomas Jefferson

Good

“I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just that his justice cannot sleep forever.”

— Thomas Jefferson

God

“I believe that every human mind feels pleasure in doing good to another.”

— Thomas Jefferson

Good