The sheep are happier of themselves, than under the care of wolves. — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
It will be said that great societies cannot exist without government. — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
The reason that Christianity is the best friend of government is because Christianity is the only religion that changes the heart. — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
Each generation has a right to choose for itself the form of government it believes most promotive of its happiness. — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
The chief purpose of government is to protect life. Abandon that and you have abandoned all. — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
Was the government to prescribe to us our medicine and diet, our bodies would be in such keeping as our souls are… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
I do verily believe that a single, consolidated government would become the most corrupt government on the earth. — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
With all the imperfections of our present government, it is without comparison the best existing, or that ever did exist. — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
“The care of human life and happiness, and their destruction is the first and only legitimate object of a good government.” — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
The care of human life and happiness and not their destruction is the first and only legitimate object of good government. — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
I consider the government of the U.S. as interdicted by the Constitution from intermeddling with religious institutions, their doctrines, discipline, or exercises. — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
History, I believe, furnishes no example of a priest-ridden people maintaining a free civil government. This marks the lowest grade of ignorance… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
The provisions we have made [for our government] are such as please ourselves; they answer the substantial purposes of government and of… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
It is time enough, for the rightful purposes of civil government, for its officers to interfere [in the propagation of religious teachings]… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
We think, in America, that it is necessary to introduce the people into every department of government, as far as they are… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
With respect to our State and federal governments, I do not think their relations correctly understood by foreigners. They generally suppose the… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
Governments constantly choose between telling lies and fighting wars, with the end result always being the same. One will always lead to… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
To seek out the best [persons to serve in the government] though the whole Union, we must resort to the information which… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
I am for a government rigorously frugal & simple, applying all the possible savings of the public revenue to the discharge of… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
[Emigrants] will bring with them the principles of the governments they leave, imbibed in their early youth; or, if able to throw… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
May [our Declaration of Independence] be to the world, what I believe it will be (to some parts sooner, to others later,… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
You know well that government always kept a kind of standing army of newswriters who, without any regard to truth or to… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
The mobs of the great cities add just so much to the support of pure government as sores do to the strength… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
The principle of the Constitution is that of a separation of legislative, Executive and Judiciary functions, except in cases specified. If this… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
To constrain the brute force of the people, the European governments deem it necessary to keep them down by hard labor, poverty… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
I... [proposed] three distinct grades of education, reaching all classes. 1. Elementary schools for all children generally, rich and poor. 2. Colleges… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
“...legitimate powers of government reach actions only, & not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
No government can continue good, but under the control of the people. — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
A man has a right to use a saw, an axe, a plane, separately; may he not combine their uses on the same piece… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share
Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share
[States and the Federal government are] coordinate departments of one simple and integral whole... The one is the domestic, the other the foreign branch… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share
I am for freedom of religion, and against all maneuvers to bring about a legal ascendency of one sect over another. — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share
Single acts of tyranny may be ascribed to the accidental opinion of a day; but a series of oppressions, begun at a distinguished period… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share
“Perceiving the order of nature to be that individual happiness shall be inseparable from the practice of virtue, I am willing to hope it… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share
Free government is founded in jealousy, and not in confidence; it is jealousy, and not confidence, which prescribes limited constitutions, to bind down those… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share
Though you cannot see, when you take one step, what will be the next, yet follow truth, justice, and plain dealing, and never fear… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share
The two principles on which our conduct towards the Indians should be founded are justice and fear. After the injuries we have done them,… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share
There is... an artificial aristocracy founded on wealth and birth, without either virtue or talents... The artificial aristocracy is a mischievous ingredient in government,… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share
Nothing but free argument, raillery and even ridicule will preserve the purity of religion. — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share
When the people are afraid of the government, that's tyranny. But when the government is afraid of the people, that's liberty. — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable Rights,… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share
![“The provisions we have made [for our government] are such as please ourselves; they answer the substantial purposes of government and of justice, and other purposes than these should not be answered.” quote by Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/q/img-quotes/27d/thomas-jefferson-43_answers_the-provisions-we-have-made-for-our-gove_1082584.jpg)
![“It is time enough, for the rightful purposes of civil government, for its officers to interfere [in the propagation of religious teachings] when principles break out into overt acts against peace and good order.” quote by Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/q/img-quotes/fac/thomas-jefferson-43_break_it-is-time-enough-for-the-rightful-purpo_2061978.jpg)
![“To seek out the best [persons to serve in the government] though the whole Union, we must resort to the information which from the best of men, acting disinterestedly and with ther purest motives, is something incorrect…No duty the Executive had to perform was so trying as to put the right man in…” quote by Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/q/img-quotes/7f5/thomas-jefferson-43_acting_to-seek-out-the-best-persons-to-serve-in_1035539.jpg)
![“[Emigrants] will bring with them the principles of the governments they leave, imbibed in their early youth; or, if able to throw off, it will be in exchange for an unbounded licentiousness, passing, as is usual, from one extreme to another. It would be a miracle were they to stop precisely at the…” quote by Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/q/img-quotes/451/thomas-jefferson-43_able_emigrants-will-bring-with-them-the-princ_1395724.jpg)
![“May [our Declaration of Independence] be to the world, what I believe it will be (to some parts sooner, to others later, but finally to all), the signal of arousing men to burst the chains under which monkish ignorance and superstition had persuaded them to bind themselves, and to assume the…” quote by Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/q/img-quotes/b66/thomas-jefferson-43_assuming_may-our-declaration-of-independence-be-t_1692808.jpg)
![“You know well that government always kept a kind of standing army of newswriters who, without any regard to truth or to what should be like truth, invented and put into the papers whatever might serve the [government] ministers. This suffices with the mass of the people who have no means of…” quote by Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/q/img-quotes/60a/thomas-jefferson-43_army_you-know-well-that-government-always-kep_2551285.jpg)
![“I... [proposed] three distinct grades of education, reaching all classes. 1. Elementary schools for all children generally, rich and poor. 2. Colleges for a middle degree of instruction, calculated for the common purposes of life and such as should be desirable for all who were in easy…” quote by Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/q/img-quotes/246/thomas-jefferson-43_children_i-proposed-three-distinct-grades-of-educ_2306767.jpg)
