Those who labor in the earth are the chosen people of God, if ever He had a chosen people, whose breasts He has made His peculiar deposit for substantial and genuine virtue.

Thomas Jefferson

Notes on the State of Virginia

Buy Notes on the State of Virginia at Amazon Buy Notes on the State of Virginia at Amazon
Read Notes on the State of Virginia at the Library of Congress website

More information about this quote

Topic

Salt of the earth Farmers

Author

Thomas Jefferson

Source

Notes on the State of Virginia

Genre

Political literature

Language

English

Time

1785 1780s 18th century

Occupation

Founding Father American President National leader Politician

From

United States

Authentication Score 3

Original Citation

Jefferson, Thomas [published anonymously]. Notes on the State of Virginia. Paris: Philippe Denis Pierres, 1785, query 19.

Current Citation

Jefferson, Thomas. Notes on the State of Virginia, edited by Frank Shuffelton. Penguin Classics, 1998, query 19.

Illustrated Quote

A quote by Thomas Jefferson about salt of the earth: “Those who labor in the earth are the chosen people of God, if ever…”
Download
A quote by Thomas Jefferson about salt of the earth: “Those who labor in the earth are the chosen people of God, if ever…”
Download
A quote by Thomas Jefferson about salt of the earth: “Those who labor in the earth are the chosen people of God, if ever…”
Download

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

The boisterous sea of liberty indeed is never without a wave.

Thomas Jefferson

More information about this quote
Topic
Freedom as disruptive force Nature of freedom Freedom

Author

Thomas Jefferson
Medium
Letter
Genre
Political writing
Statement Type
Metaphor, analogy and simile
Language
English
Time
1820 1820s 19th century
Authentication Score 3
Citation

Jefferson, Thomas. Letter to Marquis de Lafayette. 26 Dec. 1820.

Another quote from the 1780s

A republic, if you can keep it.

Benjamin Franklin

More information about this quote
Topic
Fragility of democracy American experiment

Author

Benjamin Franklin
Medium
Speech
Language
English
Time
1787 1780s 18th century
Authentication Score 2
Original Citation

Franklin, Benjamin. Response to a question by Mrs. Powel. Constitutional Convention. 18 Sept. 1787, Independence Hall, Philadelphia, PA, USA.

Current Citation

Franklin, Benjamin. Quoted in "'A Republic if you can keep it': Elizabeth Willing Powwel, Benjamin Franklin, and the James McHenry Journal. Library of Congress. Posted 6 Jan. 2022, blogs.loc.gov/manuscripts.