#1. “My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government.”
We limited government types love to quote this one, but Jefferson never said it. Monticello’s website lists the earliest known appearance as being printed in 1913 by John Sharp Williams. They think that the reason people quote this is because Jefferson said something similar in a letter on June 14th, 1807: “History, in general, only informs us what bad government is.”
Williams wrote the quote referring to Jefferson, and it’s been wrongly attributed to him ever since. We wish he said it though, cause it’s pretty cool.
#2. “The Bible is the source of liberty…”
Sorry religiosos, Jefferson never said it. It first appeared in Our Public Schools – Christian or Secular, by Renwick Harper Martin. People think that its origins are from the Declaration of Independence, where Jefferson said: “…they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Some overly zealous types may have translated that as “The Bible is the source of liberty,” but “endowed by their Creator with…Liberty” is not the same thing.
Indeed Jefferson was a bit of a Bible heretic, spending the first year in the White House secretly destroying and recreating the Bible in his own image. The Jefferson Bible is one of the most controversial works by our third president, and is something that many people today still don’t know about.
RELATED: Why does it say “In God We Trust” on American money?
#3. “The beauty of the Second Amendment is that it will not be needed until they try to take it.”
This is one that as gun owners, we really wanted it to be true. It’s such a badass quote that it just HAD to be Jefferson, but it isn’t. So sad. It’s appeared in a ton of books about Jefferson though, and that ought to tell you how quickly BS can spread, even in analog publications. No less than five different books wrongly attributed it to him. Don’t make that mistake. Always check and double-check your sources. Just because it’s in a book, doesn’t make it true.
#4. “Democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where 51% of the people may take away the rights of the other 49%.”
Jefferson never said that. It’s true. But, he never said it. The first time this appeared in print was relatively recent, in 2004. Monticello says that some dude called Ken Schoolland wrote a book and attributed this quote to Jefferson, but our man never said it. It’s cool to push free markets and republicanism over democracy, but don’t BS it. Besides, there are already tons of awesome quotes about why democracy sucks that you can use.
Like these REAL quotes:
“Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” – H. L. Mencken
and:
“As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart’s desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.” -H.L. Mencken
See? Real quotes are more fun!
#5. “If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around them will deprive the people of all property until their children wake up homeless on the continent their Fathers conquered…I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies… The issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored to the people, to whom it properly belongs.”
Jefferson never said that. And DAMN IT! Because that is one awesome, and totally true statement. Whoever said it was definitely on to something, but it wasn’t ole Tommy boy. The first time it appeared was in a newspaper in 1933, according to Monticello.
But take heart! Jefferson did say something that was similar in a letter to John Taylor in 1816.
He said:
“And I sincerely believe, with you, that banking establishments are more dangerous than standing armies; and that the principle of spending money to be paid by posterity, under the name of funding, is but swindling futurity on a large scale.”
So take the real quote and use it. Besides, Jefferson said something else that was totally awesome on the problem with central banks when he said in a letter to John Wayles Eppes in 1813:
“Bank-paper must be suppressed, and the circulating medium must be restored to the nation to whom it belongs.”
Sweet! That’s a pretty damn awesome quote there. And we didn’t need to make any BS up. Jefferson was obviously an enemy to the central banking institutions, so let’s use his REAL words as slings and arrows against our outrageous fortunes, shall we?
#6. “In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.”
I sort of feel like an idiot here, because I’m pretty sure I’ve quoted this spuriously myself a few times. But Jefferson never said it! It’s SOOOOO cool though. Well, since Jefferson didn’t say it, maybe I can take credit? Elizabeth Huff sussed this all out when she wrote in 2001:
It is clear that the quotation came into use at least as early as the 19th century, although when it was used, it was not attributed to a particular author and was often referred to as an “old adage.” It is not clear where the phrase originated from, but there is no proof that Jefferson ever uttered these words. It appears that the phrase became connected to Jefferson around 1973, and from then on, it is almost always attributed to him when quoted – usually in the context of homemaking or education.
Thanks for ruining our fun Liz. We’ll know who to call when we need a party pooper.
#7. “A government big enough to give you everything you want, is a government big enough to take away everything that you have.”
Jefferson never said it. It has been misattributed to him for a long, long time, and is possible a quote by Samuel Gompers, and was used frequently by Gerald Ford. A lot of people think it’s a bastardization of a quote where Jefferson said: “The natural progress of things is for liberty to yeild [sic], and government to gain ground.”
Still, that quote in itself is good enough. We don’t need fake Jefferson quotes, because the real ones are all so good and accomplish the same task of attacking the same problems.
#8. “The price of liberty is eternal vigilance.”
So epic… and so FAKE! Dang it! Fooled again. This quote is so freaking rad that we just wish it were true, but Monticello says no.That’s a shame, because it is also very true. Maybe we will take credit for this one, too?
From Monticello:
This quotation was well-known in the nineteenth century, and was in fact used by a number of famous figures, including Frederick Douglass, James Buchanan, and William Henry Harrison. It can be traced back, ultimately, to John Philpot Curran’s statement, “The condition upon which God hath given liberty to man is eternal vigilance; which condition if he break, servitude is at once the consequence of his crime and the punishment of his guilt.”
#9. “Dissent is the highest form of patriotism”
*sigh* Another BS quote that sounds too good to be true. This quote came into fashion during the Vietnam era, when hippies were protesting the war and looking for a good old fashioned bit of classical liberal founding father-ish sounding words to bring about the smackdown. Somebody did say the quote however, but it wasn’t Jefferson. From Monticello:
On October 15, 1969, in a speech at Columbia University, Mayor John Lindsay of New York City stated, “We cannot rest content with the charge from Washington that this peaceful protest is unpatriotic…The fact is that this dissent is the highest form of patriotism.”
#10. “Those who hammer their guns into plows will plow for those who do not.”
Again, so true, and yet… so fake. Thomas Jefferson didn’t say it. Still, that doesn’t make it not a true statement. It is a true statement. Getting rid of your guns is a great way to invite your enemies in to say how do ya do and plough my fields too!