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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.

“Difference of opinion is advantageous in religion. The several sects perform the office of a Censor - over each other.”

— Thomas Jefferson

Religion

All Quotes by Thomas Jefferson

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

— Thomas Jefferson

Government

“The spirit of resistance to government is so valuable on certain occasions that I wish it to be always kept alive.”

— Thomas Jefferson

Government

“Every government degenerates when trusted to the rulers of the people alone. The people themselves are its only safe depositories.”

— Thomas Jefferson

Alone

“No government ought to be without censors and where the press is free no one ever will.”

— Thomas Jefferson

Government

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

— Thomas Jefferson

Religion

“I never considered a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as cause for withdrawing from a friend.”

— Thomas Jefferson

Politics

“One travels more usefully when alone, because he reflects more.”

— Thomas Jefferson

Alone

“There is a natural aristocracy among men. The grounds of this are virtue and talents.”

— Thomas Jefferson

Men

“As our enemies have found we can reason like men, so now let us show them we can fight like men also.”

— Thomas Jefferson

Men

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

— Thomas Jefferson

Good

“Conquest is not in our principles. It is inconsistent with our government.”

— Thomas Jefferson

Government

“The God who gave us life, gave us liberty at the same time.”

— Thomas Jefferson

God

“Our country is now taking so steady a course as to show by what road it will pass to destruction, to wit: by consolidation of power first, and then corruption, its necessary consequence.”

— Thomas Jefferson

Power

“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.”

— Thomas Jefferson

Government

“Happiness is not being pained in body or troubled in mind.”

— Thomas Jefferson

Happiness

“An association of men who will not quarrel with one another is a thing which has never yet existed, from the greatest confederacy of nations down to a town meeting or a vestry.”

— Thomas Jefferson

Men

“It does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no God.”

— Thomas Jefferson

God

“My only fear is that I may live too long. This would be a subject of dread to me.”

— Thomas Jefferson

Fear

“My theory has always been, that if we are to dream, the flatteries of hope are as cheap, and pleasanter, than the gloom of despair.”

— Thomas Jefferson

Hope

“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