--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Our liberty depends on the freedom of the…" description: "\"Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost.\" — Thomas Jefferson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/989/thomas-jefferson-43_freedom_our-liberty-depends-on-the-freedom-of-th_205678.jpg" --- # Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that… ![“Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost.” quote by Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/989/thomas-jefferson-43_freedom_our-liberty-depends-on-the-freedom-of-th_205678.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/989/thomas-jefferson-43_freedom_our-liberty-depends-on-the-freedom-of-th_205678.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/989/thomas-jefferson-43_freedom_our-liberty-depends-on-the-freedom-of-th_205678.jpg) > “Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost.” [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. Press freedom is essential for liberty; restricting it erodes democratic foundations. **In simple terms:** Free press safeguards freedom. Key Takeaway Protect and support independent media. Themes freedom democracy press liberty Mood political defensive Type historical civic When to use this quote - journalism - political activism - education curricula Key Concepts civic responsibility government accountability first amendment Questions to Reflect On - What balance should exist between security and press freedom? - How can citizens defend press independence? A Different Perspective Press restrictions may be justified in emergencies. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Depends Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/depends-freedom-1589286/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Freedom of the press](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom-of-the-press/) [Freedom Press](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom-press/) [Journalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalism/) [Liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberty/) [Liberty Depends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberty-depends-1756299/) [Losing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/losing/) [Lost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lost/) [Media](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/media/) ## Related quotes > [Our liberty depends on freedom of the press.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/our-liberty-depends-on-freedom-of-the-press/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [I want to make a toast to all at this press event who agree with Thomas Jefferson, who said that our liberty depends on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-palin/i-want-to-make-a-toast-to-all-at-this-press-event-who-agree-with/) [Sarah Palin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-palin/) > [The freedom of the press is on of the great bulwarks of liberty, and can never be restrained but by a despotic government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/the-freedom-of-the-press-is-on-of-the-great-bulwarks-of-liberty-and/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Considering the great importance to the public liberty of the freedom of the press, and the difficulty of submitting it to very precise rules,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/considering-the-great-importance-to-the-public-liberty-of-the-freedom/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Trade liberty for safety or money and you'll end up with neither. Liberty, like a grain of salt, easily dissolves. The power of questioning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/trade-liberty-for-safety-or-money-and-you-ll-end-up-with-neither/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Freedom of the press is not questioned when investigative journalism unearths scandals, But that does not mean that every classified state document should be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-schily/freedom-of-the-press-is-not-questioned-when-investigative-journalism/) [Otto Schily](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-schily/) > [When freedom of the press is threatened, the United States should be leading efforts to protect it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/when-freedom-of-the-press-is-threatened-the-united-states-should-be/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [I recognize the need to provide the press - and, through you, the American people - with information to the fullest extent possible. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/i-recognize-the-need-to-provide-the-press-and-through-you-the/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [“Freedom of the press is limited to those who own one.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-liebling-2/freedom-of-the-press-is-limited-to-those-who-own-one/) [A.J. Liebling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-liebling-2/) > [I get a little nauseated, perhaps, when I hear the phrase 'freedom of the press' used as freely as it is, knowing that a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-wilson/i-get-a-little-nauseated-perhaps-when-i-hear-the-phrase-freedom-of/) [Harold Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-wilson/) > [“This country prides itself on freedom of the press and went to war with England because you wanted religious freedom”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lin-wilder/this-country-prides-itself-on-freedom-of-the-press-and-went-to-war/) [Lin Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lin-wilder/) > [Without freedom of the press, there can be no representative government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-maurice-de-talleyrand/without-freedom-of-the-press-there-can-be-no-representative-government/) [Charles Maurice de Talleyrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-maurice-de-talleyrand/) > [The freedom of the press is a valuable privilege; but the abuse of it, in this country, is a frightful evil. The licentiousness of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-webster/the-freedom-of-the-press-is-a-valuable-privilege-but-the-abuse-of-it/) [Noah Webster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-webster/) > [Freedom of press and freedom of speech: What a blessing for a country while in the hands of honest, patriotic men; what a curse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-h-boetcker/freedom-of-press-and-freedom-of-speech-what-a-blessing-for-a-country/) [William J. H. Boetcker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-h-boetcker/) > [Woe to that nation whose literature is cut short by the intrusion of force. This is not merely interference with freedom of the press…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/woe-to-that-nation-whose-literature-is-cut-short-by-the-intrusion-of/) [Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-solzhenitsyn/) ## More by Thomas Jefferson > [A man has a right to use a saw, an axe, a plane, separately; may he not combine their uses on the same piece…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/a-man-has-a-right-to-use-a-saw-an-axe-a-plane-separately-may-he-not/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [ \[States and the Federal government are\] coordinate departments of one simple and integral whole... The one is the domestic, the other the foreign branch… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/states-and-the-federal-government-are-coordinate-departments-of-one/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [I am for freedom of religion, and against all maneuvers to bring about a legal ascendency of one sect over another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/i-am-for-freedom-of-religion-and-against-all-maneuvers-to-bring-about/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Single acts of tyranny may be ascribed to the accidental opinion of a day; but a series of oppressions, begun at a distinguished period…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/single-acts-of-tyranny-may-be-ascribed-to-the-accidental-opinion-of-a/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [“Perceiving the order of nature to be that individual happiness shall be inseparable from the practice of virtue, I am willing to hope it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/perceiving-the-order-of-nature-to-be-that-individual-happiness-shall/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Free government is founded in jealousy, and not in confidence; it is jealousy, and not confidence, which prescribes limited constitutions, to bind down those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/free-government-is-founded-in-jealousy-and-not-in-confidence-it-is/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Though you cannot see, when you take one step, what will be the next, yet follow truth, justice, and plain dealing, and never fear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/though-you-cannot-see-when-you-take-one-step-what-will-be-the-next/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [A well informed citizenry is the best defense against tyranny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/a-well-informed-citizenry-is-the-best-defense-against-tyranny/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [The two principles on which our conduct towards the Indians should be founded are justice and fear. 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