Thomas Jefferson

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"It is part of the American character to consider nothing as desperate - to surmount every difficulty by resolution and contrivance."	Adversity, America, Art
"We hold these truths to be sacred and undeniable; that all men are created equal and independent, that from that equal creation they derive rights inherent and inalienable, among which are the preservation of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."	Ability, Age, Equality
"The superiority of chocolate (hot chocolate), both for health and nourishment, will soon give it the same preference over tea and coffee in America which it has in Spain. . . "	America, Men
"I am not an advocate for frequent changes in laws and Constitutions. But laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind. As that becomes more developed, more enlightened, as new discoveries are made, new truths discovered and manners and opinions change, with the change of circumstances, institutions must advance also to keep pace with the times. We might as well require a man to wear still the coat which fitted him when a boy as civilized society to remain ever under the regimen of their barbarous ancestors."	Economics, Change
"Enlighten the people generally, and tyranny and oppressions of body and mind will vanish like evil spirits at the dawn of day."	Education
"I know no safe depository of the ultimate powers of the society but the people themselves; and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them, but to inform their discretion by education. This is the true corrective of abuses of constitutional power."	Education
"That to compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves and abhors, is sinful and tyrannical."	Freedom
"I think our governments will remain virtuous for many centuries; as long as they are chiefly agricultural; and this will be as long as there shall be vacant lands in any part of America. When they get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, they will become corrupt as in Europe."	Government
"If we can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people, under the pretence of taking care of them, they must become happy."	Government
"Were we directed from Washington when to sow, & when to reap, we should soon want bread."	Government
"If, in my retirement to the humble station of a private citizen, I am accompanied with the esteem and approbation of my fellow citizens, trophies obtained by the bloodstained steel, or the tattered flags of the tented field, will never be envied. The care of human life and happiness, and not their destruction, is the first and only legitimate object of good government."	Government
"The main objects of all science, the freedom and happiness of man.... [are] the sole objects of all legitimate government."	Government
"The same prudence which in private life would forbid our paying our own money for unexplained projects, forbids it in the dispensation of the public moneys."	Government
"We are endeavoring, too, to reduce the government to the practice of a rigorous economy, to avoid burdening the people, and arming the magistrate with a patronage of money, which might be used to corrupt and undermine the principles of our government."	Government
"With your talents and industry, with science, and that stedfast honesty which eternally pursues right, regardless of consequences, you may promise yourself every thing-but health, without which there is no happiness. An attention to health then should take place of every other object. The time necessary to secure this by active exercises, should be devoted to it in preference to every other pursuit."	Health
"It behoves every man who values liberty of conscience for himself, to resist invasions of it in the case of others; or their case may, by change of circumstances, become his own."	Economics, Liberty
"... the giver of life, who gave it for happiness and not for wretchedness."	Success, Life
"We must train and classify the whole of our male citizens, and make military instruction a regular part of collegiate education."	Military
"If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issuance of their currency, first by inflation and then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around them will deprive the people of all their property until their children will wake up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered."	Money
"Peace with all nations, and the right which that gives us with respect to all nations, are our object."	Peace
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Ability	Accomplishment	Achievement
Adversity	Age	America
Anger	Anti-Religion	Argument
Art	Attitude	Beauty
Books	Change	Character
Conflict	Courage	Death
Decision-Making	Democracy	Desires
Difficulty	Dreams	Duty
Economics	Education	Equality
Evil	Excellence	Failure
Faith	Family	Fear
Freedom	Friends	Goals
God	Good	Government
Guns	Happiness	Health
Help	History	Honesty
Hope	Joy	Knowledge
Law	Liberty	Lies
Life	Men	Military
Miscellaneous	Monarchy	Money
Nature	Peace	Politics
Power	Presidency	Quotations
Race	Reading	Religion
Responsibility	School	Sin
Sleeping	Strength	Success
Talent	Taxes	Teaching
Time	Truth	Violence
Virtue	Wants	War
Wisdom	Wishing