--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If there be one principle more deeply…" description: "\"If there be one principle more deeply rooted than any other in the mind of every American, it is, that we should have nothing to do with conquest\" — Th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07f/thomas-jefferson-43_america-and-american_if-there-be-one-principle-more-deeply-ro_2566933.jpg" --- # If there be one principle more deeply rooted than any… ![“If there be one principle more deeply rooted than any other in the mind of every American, it is, that we should have nothing to do with conquest” quote by Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07f/thomas-jefferson-43_america-and-american_if-there-be-one-principle-more-deeply-ro_2566933.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07f/thomas-jefferson-43_america-and-american_if-there-be-one-principle-more-deeply-ro_2566933.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/07f/thomas-jefferson-43_america-and-american_if-there-be-one-principle-more-deeply-ro_2566933.jpg) > “If there be one principle more deeply rooted than any other in the mind of every American, it is, that we should have nothing to do with conquest” [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Americans should avoid conquest, valuing peaceful relations and moral integrity over expansionist ambitions. **In simple terms:** Avoid conquest; favor peace. Key Takeaway Promote peaceful policies. Themes peace ethics politics Mood thoughtful principled Type political philosophical When to use this quote - diplomacy - education - community building Key Concepts Republicanism foreign policy Questions to Reflect On - How to balance security and non‑conquest? - What alternatives exist to expansion? 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