Thomas Jefferson Encyclopedia

The nation was clothed with ample powers ... (Spurious Quotation)

Find out why scholars don't think Jefferson ever wrote or said, "The nation was clothed with ample powers to maintain its own supremacy."

A modern-day portrait of Thomas Jefferson in early 19-century attire with a speech bubble next to his head that says, "I said what?!"

Quotation: "The nation was clothed with ample powers to maintain its own supremacy and life forever – with its foundation upon the White Race, Christianity, and a Republican form of government. If this nation does not like a planet, revolve in orbit around this 'trinity,' the nation's purpose for existence will have ceased to exist and though its Union is preserved, it will exist only as a Dummy."

Variations: None known.

Sources consulted: (searching on the words/phrases: "clothed with ample powers," "white race," "revolve in orbit," "union is preserved," and "dummy")

  1. Monticello website
  2. Papers of Thomas Jefferson: Digital Edition
  3. Ford's Works of Thomas Jefferson
  4. Lipscomb & Bergh's Writings of Thomas Jefferson via Google Books
  5. The Papers of Thomas Jefferson: Retirement Series

Earliest known appearance in print: No appearances in print found.1

Earliest known appearance in print, attributed to Thomas Jefferson: See above.

Other attributions: None known.

Status: We have not found any evidence that Thomas Jefferson said or wrote, "The nation was clothed with ample powers to maintain its own supremacy and life forever – with its foundation upon the White Race, Christianity, and a Republican form of government. If this nation does not like a planet, revolve in orbit around this 'trinity,' the nation's purpose for existence will have ceased to exist and though its Union is preserved, it will exist only as a Dummy," or any similar statement. Something very similar to the first sentence can be found in a book published in 1862: "... a republic, representing the sovereign majesty of the whole nation, clothed with ample powers to maintain its supremacy forever."2

Footnotes

  1. To establish the earliest appearance of this phrase in print, the following sources were searched for the phrases: "clothed with ample powers to maintain its own supremacy" and "the nation's purpose for existence will have ceased to exist": Google Books, Google Scholar, Amazon.com, Internet Archive, JSTOR.
  2. William Whiting, War Powers of the President and the Legislative Powers of Congress in Relation to Rebellion, Treason and Slavery (Boston: John L. Shorey, 1862), 8.