The care of human life and happiness, and not their destruction, is the first and only legitimate object of good government.

Thomas Jefferson

Read this letter at the National Archives website

More information about this quote

Topic

Purpose of government Political theory

Author

Thomas Jefferson

Source

Letters of Thomas Jefferson

Medium

Open letter Letter

Language

English

Time

1809 1800s 19th century

Occupation

Founding Father American President National leader Politician

From

United States

Authentication Score 3

Citation

Jefferson, Thomas. Letter to the Republican Citizens of Washington County, Maryland. 31 Mar. 1809.

Illustrated Quote

A quote by Thomas Jefferson about purpose of government: “The care of human life and happiness, and not their destruction…”
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A quote by Thomas Jefferson about purpose of government: “The care of human life and happiness, and not their destruction…”
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A quote by Thomas Jefferson about purpose of government: “The care of human life and happiness, and not their destruction…”
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Related Quotes

Below are one or more quotes that share at least one tag with the quote at the top of the page

Another quote by Thomas Jefferson

Truth is great and will prevail if left to herself; that she is the proper and sufficient antagonist to error, and has nothing to fear from the conflict unless by human interposition disarmed of her natural weapons, free argument and debate; errors ceasing to be dangerous when it is permitted freely to contradict them.

Thomas Jefferson

More information about this quote
Topic
Power of truth Truth and error

Author

Thomas Jefferson
Language
English
Time
1779 1770s 18th century
Authentication Score 3
Original Citation

Jefferson, Thomas. A Bill for Establishing Religious Freedom. 18 June 1779.

Current Citation

Jefferson, Thomas. "An Act for Establishing Religious Freedom, 1779." The Life and Selected Writings of Thomas Jefferson: Including the Autobiography, The Declaration of Independence & His Public and Private Letters, edited by Adrienne Koch and William Peden. Modern Library, 1998.

Another quote from the 1800s

The government of the United States has been emphatically termed a government of laws, and not of men.

John Marshall

Marbury v. Madison

Read this opinion at supreme.justia.com.
More information about this quote
Topic
Rule of law American politics

Author

John Marshall
Source
Marbury v. Madison
Medium
Supreme Court opinion Legal opinion
Genre
Legal writing
Language
English
Time
1803 1800s 19th century
Authentication Score 2
Citation

Marshall, John. United States, Supreme Court. Marbury v. Madison. United States Reports, vol. 5, 24 Feb. 1803, pp. 137-180. Justia, supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/5/137/.

Another quote about Political theory

They are casting their problems on society and who is society? There is no such thing! There are individual men and women and there are families and no government can do anything except through people and people look to themselves first.

Margaret Thatcher

More information about this quote
Topic
Society Family Role of government Political theory Conservatism
Speaker
Margaret Thatcher
Medium
Interview
Language
English
Time
1987 1980s 20th century
Authentication Score 2
Citation

Thatcher, Margaret. "No Such Thing as Society." Interviewed by Douglas Keay. Woman's Own, 23 Sept. 1987.