Thomas Jefferson

"For a people who are free, and who mean to remain so, a well-organized and armed militia is their best security."

-Thomas Jefferson

"He who knows best knows how little he knows."

-Thomas Jefferson

"Walking is the best possible exercise. Habituate yourself to walk very fast."

-Thomas Jefferson

"It behooves every man who values liberty of conscience for himself, to resist invasions of it in the case of others: or their case may, by change of circumstances, become his own."

-Thomas Jefferson

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"Nothing gives one person so much advantage over another as to remain always cool and unruffled under all circumstances."

-Thomas Jefferson

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"One man with courage is a majority."

-Thomas Jefferson

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"I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past."

-Thomas Jefferson

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

-Thomas Jefferson

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"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

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"Experience demands that man is the only animal which devours his own kind, for I can apply no milder term to the general prey of the rich on the poor."

-Thomas Jefferson

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

-Thomas Jefferson

"Question with boldness even the existence of a God because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blind-folded fear."

-Thomas Jefferson

"Fix reason firmly in her seat, and call to her tribunal every fact, every opinion. Question with boldness even the existence of a God because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blindfolded fear."

-Thomas Jefferson

"I have no fear that the result of our experiment will be that men may be trusted to govern themselves without a master."

-Thomas Jefferson

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

-Thomas Jefferson

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

-Thomas Jefferson

"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

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"Walking is the best possible exercise. Habituate yourself to walk very fast."

-Thomas Jefferson

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"Our greatest happiness does not depend on the condition of life in which chance has placed us, but is always the result of a good conscience, good health, occupation, and freedom in all just pursuits."

-Thomas Jefferson

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"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

"Peace and friendship with all mankind is our wisest policy, and I wish we may be permitted to pursue it."

-Thomas Jefferson

"Friendship is but another name for an alliance with the follies and the misfortunes of others. Our own share of miseries is sufficient: why enter then as volunteers into those of another?"

-Thomas Jefferson

"Peace, commerce and honest friendship with all nations entangling alliances with none."

-Thomas Jefferson

"I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past."

-Thomas Jefferson

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

-Thomas Jefferson

"Question with boldness even the existence of a God because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blind-folded fear."

-Thomas Jefferson

"I have sworn upon the altar of God, eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man."

-Thomas Jefferson

"Fix reason firmly in her seat, and call to her tribunal every fact, every opinion. Question with boldness even the existence of a God because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blindfolded fear."

-Thomas Jefferson

"If God is just, I tremble for my country."

-Thomas Jefferson

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

-Thomas Jefferson

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

-Thomas Jefferson

"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

"Our greatest happiness does not depend on the condition of life in which chance has placed us, but is always the result of a good conscience, good health, occupation, and freedom in all just pursuits."

-Thomas Jefferson

"The care of human life and happiness, and not their destruction, is the first and only object of good government."

-Thomas Jefferson

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

-Thomas Jefferson

"It takes time to persuade men to do even what is for their own good."

-Thomas Jefferson

"In truth, politeness is artificial good humor, it covers the natural want of it, and ends by rendering habitual a substitute nearly equivalent to the real virtue."

-Thomas Jefferson

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

-Thomas Jefferson

"The Creator has not thought proper to mark those in the forehead who are of stuff to make good generals. We are first, therefore, to seek them blindfold, and then let them learn the trade at the expense of great losses."

-Thomas Jefferson

"The good opinion of mankind, like the lever of Archimedes, with the given fulcrum, moves the world."

-Thomas Jefferson

"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

"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

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

-Thomas Jefferson

"It is error alone which needs the support of government. Truth can stand by itself."

-Thomas Jefferson

"Whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government."

-Thomas Jefferson

"If we can but prevent the government from wasting the labours of the people, under the pretence of taking care of them, they must become happy."

-Thomas Jefferson

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

-Thomas Jefferson

"My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government."

-Thomas Jefferson

"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

"A Bill of Rights is what the people are entitled to against every government, and what no just government should refuse, or rest on inference."

-Thomas Jefferson

"The care of human life and happiness, and not their destruction, is the first and only object of good government."

-Thomas Jefferson

"The republican is the only form of government which is not eternally at open or secret war with the rights of mankind."

-Thomas Jefferson

"Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter."

-Thomas Jefferson

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

-Thomas Jefferson

"Sometimes it is said that man cannot be trusted with the government of himself. Can he, then be trusted with the government of others? Or have we found angels in the form of kings to govern him? Let history answer this question."

-Thomas Jefferson

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

-Thomas Jefferson

"The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground."

-Thomas Jefferson

"Conquest is not in our principles. It is inconsistent with our government."

-Thomas Jefferson

"I own that I am not a friend to a very energetic government. It is always oppressive."

-Thomas Jefferson

"So confident am I in the intentions, as well as wisdom, of the government, that I shall always be satisfied that what is not done, either cannot, or ought not to be done."

-Thomas Jefferson

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

-Thomas Jefferson

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

-Thomas Jefferson

"The second office in the government is honorable and easy the first is but a splendid misery."

-Thomas Jefferson