Thomas Jefferson was one of the Founders of the United States of America, the primary author of the Declaration of Independence, the first Secretary of State in the George Washington administration, served as Vice President to John Adams, 2nd President of the United States (1797-1801) and the 3rd President of the United States (1801-1809). Contrary to belief, Thomas Jefferson was not present to sign the Constitution because he was representing our country as an ambassador in France as was his friend, John Adams who was an ambassador in Great Britain.
Mr. Jefferson was also a philosopher and considered to be a true “Renaissance Man”. He was a strong advocate of religious liberty and while he was still just “human” and had flaws, he has come down in history as a great individual and inspiration for those who seek liberty and deem to protect it.
Thomas Jefferson was also noted as the most prolific writer, the second being John Adams. His writings, mostly letters to friends and colleagues, has been published over time and just those writings constitute one volume. Needless to say, his words have been published and republished and holds a special repository in my personal library along with George Washington, John Adams, and Abraham Lincoln as well as the authors of the Federalist Papers, which I have included in summation in my book a primary to the Constitution and other papers. Little know by some, especially those students suffering under the “dumb-down” education system that We the People must repair, Thomas Jefferson spoke five languages fluently and was interested in science, invention, architecture, religion, and philosophy (which the two latter subjects intertwine). Jefferson designed his own mansion (“Monticello”) on his 5,000-acre plantation near Charlottesville, Virginia. He as not just a skilled writer, but also a notable orator whose influence among people in the United States and Europe were well documented.
In the publications of Thomas Jefferson's Papers, the following are included:
Jefferson's Draft of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom (1779)
Letter to Edward Carrington (1787)
Letter to Samuel Kercheval (1816)
To the New Haven Merchants (July 12, 1801)
Thomas Jefferson to Philip Mazzei (April 24, 1796)
In matters concerning religion, Jefferson rejected divine revelation, which means he was dogmatic concerning miracles notated in the New Testament concerning Jesus of Nazareth (“Christ”). He concluded that science and reason established by logic could explain those miraculous events. He believed in the Creator and the complexity of the universe implied there was an intelligent creator. Jefferson wrote of “Nature's God” and that it was the source of a natural order that included a human order, a law of nature that applied to human affairs. Jefferson's religious beliefs have long been a discussion among scholars and the general public. One of his quotes, pretty much sums up his enlightenment and views upon the subject in a letter written to his nephew, Peter Carr in 1787:
“Question with boldness even the existence of a god; because, if there be one, he must more approve the homage of reason, than that of blindfolded fear”
Jefferson did not just write about religion and created his own version of the Bible for his study, but read broadly on the topic, including study of other religions. Jefferson claimed that religion was a personal, private matter “between Man & his God” - yet he frequently discussed religion with his friends and colleagues.
As stated previously, to Jefferson, miracles were as astounding as the classic Greek, Egyptian and Roman myths passed down through the ages. But he believed in prayer, God as the Creator, and often referred to the Afterlife. He even did so in his second inaugural address that included a prayer:
“I ask you to join with me in supplications, that he [that Being in whose hands we are] will so enlighten the minds of your servants, guide their councils, and prosper their measures, that whatsoever they do, shall result in your good, and shall secure to you the peace, friendship, and approbation of all nations.
In that respect, Jefferson was a firm theist. However, he did not believe in the traditional Christian divinity, rejecting the idea of the Trinity and the divinity of Jesus that was established by the first organized Christian Church that convened in the city of Nicaea (now Iznik, Turkey) ordered by the Roman Emperor Constantine in 325 was a council established to finalize what the Roman Catholic Church would deem their doctrine. [See Phenomenology of Religion: Condensed Volumes 1-3] This event occurred during the discussion of the heresy of Arius. More than one hundred bishops from Egypt (Alexandria) and Libya gathered to discuss what the official doctrine would be for the established Christian Church. The discussion, beside the heresy of Arius, but whose purpose was to define the nature of God for all Christian churches and eliminate the myriad of confusion and regional contentions of various churches throughout Christendom. The Council of Nicaea established the deity of Jesus of Nazareth, established as “Jesus the Christ” and the relationship between the Father (God) and the Son (Jesus) as one entity, affirming the concept of the Holy Trinity – the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Also discussed was the proper date to celebrate Easter and other issues of the day. The object of Constantine calling for the convening of the council was to dispel division within the church system and strengthen cohesion of the failing Roman Empire. But that is a matter for more discussion another time.
Being such a prolific writer, Thomas Jefferson also is the most misquoted of the Founders. Indeed, Thomas Jefferson wrote so often and so much, he raised geese at Monticello just to supply feathers for his quill pens. He was also an avid reader and influenced by John Locke, Francis Bacon, Voltaire and other philosophers of the day.
Jefferson wrote somewhere around 20,000 letters during his long lifetime and while pens were invented to replace the quill pens, Jefferson continued to write with them.
In an interesting historical note, writing instruments has evolved over 5,000 years of writing beginning with the Sumerians of Mesopotamia. Quill pens first entered the world of writing instruments around the 6th century, the beginning of what is called the Middle Ages. Before the quill, there was the reed pen (“cane” pen), used to write upon papyrus. Quill pens were more flexible and lasted longer and continued in use until Petrache Penaru invented the fountain pen in 1827, which replaced the feathered and wooden handled pen that required constant dipping in ink. Believe it or not, people still used quill pens (some had metal tips for easier writing) on into the 1940s.
As a nostalgia item, quill pens can still be bought today in curio shops, reinstated in popularity thanks to the Harry Potter books and films created by author J.K. Rowling. These elegant quill pens are a modern rendition with the “quill” part being made of metal with a feather sticking out of the end. It is used primarily for calligraphy writing and usually sold as a set with interchangeable bibs accompanied with quality writing ink.
Not just an avid writer, Jefferson was also an avid reader, influenced by philosophers of the day.
“When governments fear the people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny.”
This quotation was authored by John Basil Barnhill in a St, Louis publication in 1914, a noted anti-socialist (1864-1929). I commend the Monticello Organization for researching this quote and publishing the facts about it. If you ever have a chance and are traveling through Virginia, I would recommend visiting this historical site. This misquote is not just a personal embarrassment to me, since it was published in my book, but is counter to my motto at my Blog: “Searching for Truth in a Sea of Misinformation”©®
The Second misquote (“fake”) is:
“All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent.”
The Third misquote:
“My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government.”
The Fourth misquote:
“The beauty of the Second Amendment is that it will not be needed until they try to take it.”
The Fifth misquote:
“Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.”
The Sixth misquote is something most of us have seen on social media:
“A government big enough to give you everything you want is a government big enough to take away everything that you have.”
Seventh misquote:
“If a law is unjust, a man is not only right to disobey it, he is obligated to do so.”
Eighth misquote:
“In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.”
Ninth misquote:
“The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.”
Tenth misquote:
“No Free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms. The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.”
In this quote, it is partially attributed to Thomas Jefferson, just that someone added some words. It is found in the three drafts of the Virginia Constitution as: “No freeman shall ever be debarred the use of arms.” Thomas Jefferson was a strong supporter of every person having the right to defend oneself, being part of his list of natural rights. The idea of natural rights stems from writings of John Locke and implied in the writings of Thomas Jefferson.
Eleventh misquote:
“The Government that governs best, governs least.”
Twelfth and final misquote:
“Tyranny is defined as that which is legal for the government but illegal for the citizenry.”
Of course, some of these quotes are quite a literal accomplishment, words of inspiration for liberty and the rights prescribed by the Constitution of the United States. Apparently people who make up the quotes, sometimes from partial paragraphs from Jefferson's actual writing, apply his name in order to give their words significance. Whatever the reason, it is wrong to provide misquotes, just on the principals of accuracy and credibility.
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