Encyclopedia
A fine spiced pickle...(Spurious Quotation)
This quotation about pickles is wrongly attributed to Thomas Jefferson and does not appear in Jefferson's writings or any other contemporary source.
Spurious Quotations
A list of fake, inaccurate, and bogus quotations frequently attributed to Thomas Jefferson.
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![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?!"]()
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![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?!"]()
EncyclopediaAll tyranny needs to gain a foothold...(Spurious Quotation)
Find out if Thomas Jefferson ever wrote "All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent."
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![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?!"]()
EncyclopediaAn educated citizenry is a vital requisite for our survival as a free people (Spurious Quotation)
Although it is a generally accurate paraphrase of his views, Jefferson never wrote "An educated citizenry is a vital requisite for our survival as a free people."
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![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?!"]()
EncyclopediaBad government results from too much government (Spurious Quotation)
Find why researchers think Jefferson never wrote or said "My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government."
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![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?!"]()
EncyclopediaBeer, if drunk with moderation...(Spurious Quotation)
Find why researchers think Jefferson never wrote or said "Beer, if drunk with moderation, softens the temper, cheers the spirit, and promotes health."
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![One of Jefferson's handwritten letters to Abigail Adams, date May 15, 1817.]()
EncyclopediaChain Email with 10 Jefferson Quotations
A short review of ten quotations that are frequently attributed -- and mis-attributed -- to Thomas Jefferson.
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![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?!"]()
EncyclopediaChristianity is the best friend of government (Spurious Quotation)
Find why researchers think Jefferson never wrote or said "Christianity is the best friend of Government."
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![The Jefferson Bible opened to the page with its full title written in Jefferson's hand.]()
EncyclopediaChristianity is the most perverted system that ever shone on man (Spurious Quotation)
A somewhat paraphrased quote by Thomas Jefferson.
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![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?!"]()
EncyclopediaDemocracy is nothing more than mob rule...(Spurious Quotation)
Find out whether Jefferson ever wrote or said, "Democracy is nothing more than mob rule..."
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![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?!"]()
EncyclopediaDissent is the highest form of patriotism (Spurious Quotation)
Find out if Thomas Jefferson ever said or wrote, "Dissent is the highest form of patriotism."
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![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?!"]()
EncyclopediaDo you want to know who you are? (Spurious Quotation)
Find out why scholars don't think Thomas Jefferson ever said, "Do you want to know who you are? Don't ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you."
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StoryEternal Vigilance
Much as I love debunking Jefferson quotations that were probably made up by college students last week on Facebook, it’s somewhat more intellectually stimulating to revisit some venerable old spurious quotes.
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![Allegorical painting of the goddess Liberty holding cup to an eagle while an American flag flies in the background and the broken trappings of monarcy lie at her feet.]()
EncyclopediaEternal vigilance is the price of liberty (Spurious Quotation)
Scholars do not believe Jefferson wrote or said, "Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty."
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![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?!"]()
EncyclopediaEvery man has two countries - his own and France (Spurious Quotation)
Jefferson is often falsely quoted as having written "Every man has two countries – his own and France," though he did write something close to that.
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![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?!"]()
EncyclopediaFew die, none resign (Spurious Quotation)
Find out if Thomas Jefferson ever said or wrote "Few die, none resign."
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![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?!"]()
EncyclopediaFree men do not ask permission to bear arms (Spurious Quotation)
Find out if Thomas Jefferson ever said or wrote, "Free men do not ask permission to bear arms."
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![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?!"]()
EncyclopediaFreedom is lost gradually...(Spurious Quotation)
This quotation, "Freedom is lost gradually from an uninterested, uninformed, and uninvolved people," has not been found in the writings of Thomas Jefferson.
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![Shelves of wine bottles in the restored wine cellar at Monticello.]()
EncyclopediaGood wine is a necessity of life for me (Spurious Quotation)
Jefferson once wrote that "this being a very favorite wine, and habit having rendered the light and high flavored wines a necessary of life with me."
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![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?!"]()
EncyclopediaGovernment big enough to give you everything you want...(Spurious Quotation)
Did Jefferson ever say or write, "A government big enough to give you everything you want, is a government big enough to take away everything that you have"?
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![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?!"]()
EncyclopediaGovernment by the majority who participate (Spurious Quotation)
Jefferson is often misquoted has having written, "We in America do not have government by the majority."
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![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?!"]()
EncyclopediaGovernments constantly choose between telling lies...(Spurious Quotation)
Find out whether Thomas Jefferson ever wrote, "Governments constantly choose between telling lies and fighting wars, with the end result always being the same."
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![Side-by-side images of a white bust of John Adams and a terracotta-colored bust of Thomas Jefferson.]()
EncyclopediaHideous hermaphroditical character (Spurious Quotation)
Find out if Thomas Jefferson ever described John Adams as a hideous hermaphrodite.
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StoryHow Bogus Quotes are Born
Last September, I received a question from someone looking for a Jefferson letter titled, "The Value of Constitutions." Jefferson didn't usually bother to give his letters titles, so this was a bit puzzling.
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StoryHow to Spot a Fake
It seems that the glory days of spurious Jefferson quotations have gone. Rarely do we get these types of questions any more. Now that we are experiencing a breather on that front, I've had the chance to ponder the phenomenon a bit.
