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As Jefferson himself noted, "So many persons have of late found an interest or a passion gratified by imputing to me sayings and writings which I never said or wrote..." (TJ to Alexander White, 10 September 1797). More than two hundred years later, Jefferson is of course not here to correct any wrongful "imputations," but we are. Please take advantage of our years of debunking spurious Jefferson quotes, and read on for information on some of the most frequent and recent troublemakers...

Unconfirmed Quotes

There are a number of quotes that we do not find in Thomas Jefferson's correspondence or other writings; in such cases, Jefferson should not be cited as the source. They include the following:

"Dissent is the highest form of patriotism."
We see this one fairly frequently. We are not sure where it originated, although some speculate that Howard Zinn introduced it as recently as 2002 (see http://urbanlegends.about.com/b/a/146858.htm). As evidence that Jefferson probably would not have expressed such a sentiment, we offer the following (genuine) quote:
 
"Political dissension is doubtless a less evil than the lethargy of despotism: but still it is a great evil, and it would be as worthy the efforts of the patriot as of the philosopher, to exclude it's influence if possible, from social life. The good are rare enough at best. There is no reason to subdivide them by artificial lines. But whether we shall ever be able so far to perfect the principles of society as that political opinions shall, in it's intercourse, be as inoffensive as those of philosophy, mechanics, or any other, may well be doubted." TJ to Thomas Pinckney, 29 May 1797


"The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government."
Jefferson did say, "No freeman shall be debarred the use of arms [within his own lands or tenements]." That statement can be found in his second draft of the Virginia Constitution (Papers of Thomas Jefferson, 1:353). However, it frequently appears with the unconfirmed quote in question tacked on to the end. It is not a genuine Jefferson quote as far as we know.


"Sir, no nation has ever yet existed or been governed without religion. Nor can be. The Christian religion is the best religion that has been given to man, and I as chief magistrate of this nation am bound to give it the sanction of my example."
This is a sticky one, since Jefferson was supposedly overheard saying this, rather than having written it. If there is no potential written record, it makes our job quite a bit harder, but we have some clues in this case. This quote appeared in Historical Sketch of Washington Parish, Washington City, 1794-1857, by Reverend Ethan Allen (1796-1897). The original quote is as follows:
 
"Mr. J.P. Ingle says in his note of July 6, 1857, "Mr. Underwood and myself can both recollect that Mr. McCormick held service in a Tobacco House as early in 1803 when Mr. Jefferson attended there. The old Market which stood on the NW corner of the Virginia & New Jersey Avenues was often pointed out as the place also where Mr. McCormick officiated. Was the tobacco house near this? Here it was that Mr. Jefferson was coming one Sunday morning across the fields leading to it with his large red Prayer Book under his arm when a friend riding him after their mutual good morning said which way are you walking Mr. Jefferson - to which he replied to Church Sir - you going to church Mr. Jefferson? You do not believe a word in it - Sir said Mr. Jefferson no nation has yet existed or been governed without religion - nor can be - the Christian religion is the best religion that has been given to man & I as the chief magistrate of this nation am bound to give it the sanction of my example. Good morning Sir."

Reverend Allen would have been a child at the time this statement was supposedly uttered, and the anecdote actually came to the Reverend through the filter of several other people. We remain skeptical of its authenticity.


"I have recently been examining all the known superstitions of the world, and do not find in our particular superstition [Christianity] one redeeming feature. They are all alike founded on fables and mythology."
We are asked about this one on a fairly regular basis. As with many spurious Jefferson quotes, it is frequently seen on various Internet sites. Many sites do not cite a source, but a good number of those that do attribute this quote to a letter from TJ to a "Dr. Wood." As far as we know, TJ never wrote to an individual calling him/herself Dr. Wood. Another suspicious element is the statement that he does not find in Christianity "one redeeming feature." One presumes that Jefferson did, in fact, find some redeeming features in Christianity, otherwise he would not have taken the time to paste together his own versions of the Bible. See the report Jefferson's Religious Beliefs for more information.
 
Some more random quotes that we do not believe are genuine:
  • "We should build an aristocracy of achievement based on a democracy of opportunity."
  • "An informed citizenry is the bulwark of a democracy."
  • "Information is the currency of democracy."
  • "A nation is as good as its values."
  • There is nothing more unequal than the equal treatment of unequal people."
  • "When the government fears the people, there is liberty; When the people fear the government, there is tyranny."
  • "I have nothing but contempt for anyone who can spell a word only one way."
  • "I am a big believer in luck. The harder I work, the more I have."
Stay tuned for more spurious quotes...

Misattributed Quotes

Somewhat less often, we discover the real source of quotes mistakenly attributed to Jefferson. Among the most commonly asked about are the following:

"Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty."
John Philpot Curran, in a speech before the Privy Council on July 10, 1790, said "The condition upon which God hath given liberty to man is eternal vigilance..." (see The Speeches of the Right Honorable John Philpot Curran, ed. Thomas Davis, pp. 94–95 (1847)). But the quote exactly as it appears above is also attributed to Wendell Phillips, from an 1852 speech. See discussions of this quote, attributed to both Curran and Phillips, in Respectfully Quoted, at Bartleby.com.


"Those who sacrifice freedom for safety deserve neither."
The earliest source of this quote actually seems to be Benjamin Franklin. The original quote is as follows: "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." Franklin first said this in the Pennsylvania Assembly's November 11, 1755 reply to the Governor, and it appears in The Papers of Benjamin Franklin v. 6, p. 242 (ed. Labaree). You can see a slightly altered version at Bartleby.com. This quote also appears on the Statue of Liberty.


"That government is best which governs least."
The credit for this one goes to Henry David Thoreau.


"I am a warrior so my son can be a farmer and his son can be a poet."
This was actually said by John Adams; the actual quote is as follows:

"I must study Politicks and War that my sons may have liberty to study Mathematicks and Philosophy. My sons ought to study Mathematicks and Philosophy, Geography, natural History, Naval Architecture, navigation, Commerce and Agriculture, in order to give their Children a right to study Painting, Poetry, Musick, Architecture, Statuary, Tapestry and Porcelaine." - John Adams to Abigail Adams, [post 12 May 1780]

 

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