--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In 1786, Jefferson pitched a secular and…" description: "\"“In 1786, Jefferson pitched a secular and public system of education for Virginia. He reasoned that “the tax which will be paid for this purpose is not..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37a/alan-taylor-19383_education_in-1786-jefferson-pitched-a-secular-and_1221701.jpg" --- # In 1786, Jefferson pitched a secular and public system of… ![“In 1786, Jefferson pitched a secular and public system of education for Virginia. He reasoned that “the tax which will be paid for this purpose is not more that the thousandth part of what will be paid to [the] kings, priests, and nobles who will rise up among us if we leave the people in ignorance.” quote by Alan Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37a/alan-taylor-19383_education_in-1786-jefferson-pitched-a-secular-and_1221701.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37a/alan-taylor-19383_education_in-1786-jefferson-pitched-a-secular-and_1221701.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/37a/alan-taylor-19383_education_in-1786-jefferson-pitched-a-secular-and_1221701.jpg) > ““In 1786, Jefferson pitched a secular and public system of education for Virginia. He reasoned that “the tax which will be paid for this purpose is not more that the thousandth part of what will be paid to \[the\] kings, priests, and nobles who will rise up among us if we leave the people in ignorance.”” [Alan Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-taylor/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Advocates public education to prevent elite domination, arguing taxes for schooling are minimal compared to aristocratic privileges. **In simple terms:** Public schooling prevents power concentration. Key Takeaway Invest in universal education. Themes education equality politics Mood critical inspirational Type policy historical When to use this quote - school reform - community budgeting - citizen voting Key Concepts public policy taxation social mobility Questions to Reflect On - How does education affect civic power? - What barriers exist to universal schooling? A Different Perspective Funding may face political resistance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [1786 Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/1786-jefferson-3743709/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jefferson/) [Reasoned Tax](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reasoned-tax-3743711/) [Secular Public](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secular-public-1385925/) [Virginia Reasoned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virginia-reasoned-3743710/) ## Related quotes > [If once in America the question of religious toleration was raised in defense of nonbelievers who dissented from religious orthodoxy, today it is raised…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-wolfe/if-once-in-america-the-question-of-religious-toleration-was-raised-in/) [Alan Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-wolfe/) > [Recent decades clearly demonstrate that the more secular our Public Schools become the less successful they become academically.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-barton/recent-decades-clearly-demonstrate-that-the-more-secular-our-public/) [David Barton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-barton/) > [ “We ourselves have so long ceased to use it \[the Christian worldview\] except for the discussion of the moral, the liturgical, or the spiritual,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-blamires/we-ourselves-have-so-long-ceased-to-use-it-the-christian-worldview/) [Harry Blamires](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-blamires/) > [The modern public school derived from a philosophy of freedom reflected in the First Amendment ... The non-sectarian or secular public school was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-brennan/the-modern-public-school-derived-from-a-philosophy-of-freedom/) [William J. Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-brennan/) > [“Writing to his son in 1799, John Adams blamed America’s political turmoil on “a systematical dissolution of the true Family Authority. There can never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-taylor/writing-to-his-son-in-1799-john-adams-blamed-america-s-political/) [Alan Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-taylor/) > [“A morsel of genuine history is a thing so rare as to be always valuable. Thomas Jefferson”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-grove/a-morsel-of-genuine-history-is-a-thing-so-rare-as-to-be-always/) [Tim Grove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-grove/) > [I knew Thomas Jefferson. He was a friend of mine. And believe me, you are no Thomas Jefferson. (at 1992 Republican party convention, referring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-knew-thomas-jefferson-he-was-a-friend-of-mine-and-believe-me-you/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [So now it turns out that Thomas Jefferson was having sex with Sally Hemings while serving in the 101st Airborne during the Vietnam War.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/so-now-it-turns-out-that-thomas-jefferson-was-having-sex-with-sally/) [Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/) > [The English are no nearer than they were a hundred years ago to knowing what Jefferson really meant when he said that God had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/the-english-are-no-nearer-than-they-were-a-hundred-years-ago-to/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [“The Jefferson is such a dignified hotel / There is no such thing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-williams/the-jefferson-is-such-a-dignified-hotel-there-is-no-such-thing/) [Tennessee Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-williams/) > [“...The Presidential election has given me less anxiety than I myself could have imagined. The next administration will be a troublesome one, to whomsoever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/the-presidential-election-has-given-me-less-anxiety-than-i-myself/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [In seeking an empire of liberty, Jefferson wished not only to expand the country's territorial holdings, but also to extend American institutions around the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-dallek/in-seeking-an-empire-of-liberty-jefferson-wished-not-only-to-expand/) [Robert Dallek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-dallek/) > [probably the greatest concentration of talent and genius in this house except for perhaps those times when Thomas Jefferson ate alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/probably-the-greatest-concentration-of-talent-and-genius-in-this/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [Thomas Jefferson was a real poet. He was slick with that 'pursuit' of happiness because the 'pursuit' puts it back on you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-smith/thomas-jefferson-was-a-real-poet-he-was-slick-with-that-pursuit-of/) [Will Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-smith/) > [ “Thomas Jefferson High School \[..\] His high school was named after a slave owner who was also one of the world’s greatest theoreticians on… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/thomas-jefferson-high-school-his-high-school-was-named-after-a-slave/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) ## More by Alan Taylor > [The Marvel experience was particularly wrenching because I was sort of given absolute freedom while we were shooting, and then in post, it turned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-taylor/the-marvel-experience-was-particularly-wrenching-because-i-was-sort/) [Alan Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-taylor/) > [When I was going to film school, before film school, my hero was David Lynch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-taylor/when-i-was-going-to-film-school-before-film-school-my-hero-was-david/) [Alan Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-taylor/) > [I love things that have one foot in history - I was going to be a history professor before I sold out and went…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-taylor/i-love-things-that-have-one-foot-in-history-i-was-going-to-be-a/) [Alan Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-taylor/) > [There are all kinds of things evolving in filmmaking I'm not sure I'm comfortable with. 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Spike Lee was exciting, doing exactly what we thought we were going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-taylor/my-heroes-were-people-like-jim-jarmusch-scorsese-was-my-god-spike-lee/) [Alan Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-taylor/) > ['Game of Thrones' was the first fantasy thing I've done, and like a lot of people who enjoy the show watching it, I didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-taylor/game-of-thrones-was-the-first-fantasy-thing-i-ve-done-and-like-a-lot/) [Alan Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-taylor/) > [I come out of TV, where you never reshoot, because you don't have time. If you do reshoot, it's because someone really screwed up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-taylor/i-come-out-of-tv-where-you-never-reshoot-because-you-don-t-have-time/) [Alan Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-taylor/) > [There's a natural human compulsion to chase after freedom and then to actually hand it over as fast as possible and get away from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-taylor/there-s-a-natural-human-compulsion-to-chase-after-freedom-and-then-to/) [Alan Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-taylor/) > [Compared to TV, 'Palookaville' was restriction-free, except we had no money and no time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-taylor/compared-to-tv-palookaville-was-restriction-free-except-we-had-no/) [Alan Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-taylor/) > [I've been sort of spoiled on the TV end because HBO feels like a small institution making independent movies. There's respect for the director's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-taylor/i-ve-been-sort-of-spoiled-on-the-tv-end-because-hbo-feels-like-a/) [Alan Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-taylor/) > [I had been trying to make movies, but they were really hard to get made. TV wound up, by surprise, a much more fulfilling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-taylor/i-had-been-trying-to-make-movies-but-they-were-really-hard-to-get/) [Alan Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-taylor/) > [On 'Game of Thrones,' I remember shooting in Croatia, and by lunchtime we'd see photos of what we'd shot online and think, 'My God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-taylor/on-game-of-thrones-i-remember-shooting-in-croatia-and-by-lunchtime-we/) [Alan Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-taylor/) > [The weird thing is, 'Game of Thrones,' people go to Iceland for three weeks, and it'd be like a small guerilla operation. 'Thor,' we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-taylor/the-weird-thing-is-game-of-thrones-people-go-to-iceland-for-three/) [Alan Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-taylor/) [Explore all 32 Alan Taylor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-taylor/) ## More Education quotes > [I put myself in the student's place and remember the frustrations, doubts, determination, and desires I felt when I was going through the initial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-martinez/i-put-myself-in-the-student-s-place-and-remember-the-frustrations/) [Ted Martinez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-martinez/) > [“In school you are taught to obey and not to think straight for your own good. 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But when I got to school and tried to share learning with other students that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/where-i-grew-up-learning-was-a-collective-activity-but-when-i-got-to/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [There's no authoritarian structure at Reed College, but the education is conservative. So what you have is a lot of students who are very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/there-s-no-authoritarian-structure-at-reed-college-but-the-education/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [“What's the best thing about being in college? Good teachers. They inspire you, they entertain you, and you end up learning a ton even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/what-s-the-best-thing-about-being-in-college-good-teachers-they/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [“If one has not a head of steel it will burst; if he has not within it a brain of liquid quicksilver, he will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ioannes-amos-commenius/if-one-has-not-a-head-of-steel-it-will-burst-if-he-has-not-within-it/) [Ioannes Amos Commenius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ioannes-amos-commenius/) > [“let us not teach / what we have learned badly / and not profited by”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-d-hilda-doolittle/let-us-not-teach-what-we-have-learned-badly-and-not-profited-by/) [H.D. (Hilda Doolittle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-d-hilda-doolittle/) > [“It took me years to learn to sit at my desk for more than two minutes at a time, to put up with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/it-took-me-years-to-learn-to-sit-at-my-desk-for-more-than-two-minutes/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [According to Plato, we don't learn anything. Our soul has lived so many lives that we know everything. Teachers and education can only remind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/according-to-plato-we-don-t-learn-anything-our-soul-has-lived-so-many/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“I only began to enjoy studying after I got through the educational system and became a so-called member of society. 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