Thomas Jefferson
This is amazing. There are two parts. Be
sure to read the 2nd part (in RED).Thomas
Jefferson was a very remarkable man who started learning very early in life and
never stopped.At 5,
began studying under his cousin's tutor.At 9,
studied Latin, Greek and French.At 14,
studied classical literature and additional languages.At 16,
entered the College of William and Mary.At 19,
studied Law for 5 years starting under George Wythe.At 23,
started his own law practice.At 25,
was elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses.At 31,
wrote the widely circulated "Summary View of the Rights of British America â€
and retired from his law practice.At 32,
was a Delegate to the Second Continental Congress.At 33,
wrote the Declaration of Independence .At 33,
took three years to revise Virginia ’s legal code and wrote a Public Education
bill and a statute for Religious Freedom.At 36,
was elected the second Governor of Virginia succeeding Patrick
Henry.At 40,
served in Congress for two years.At 41,
was the American minister to France and negotiated commercial treaties with
European nations along with Ben Franklin and John Adams.At 46,
served as the first Secretary of State under George
Washington.At 53,
served as Vice President and was elected president of the American Philosophical
Society.At 55,
drafted the Kentucky Resolutions and became the active head of Republican
Party.At 57,
was elected the third president of the United States .At 60,
obtained the Louisiana Purchase doubling the nation's size.At 61,
was elected to a second term as President.At 65,
retired to Monticello .At 80,
helped President Monroe shape the Monroe Doctrine.At 81,
almost single-handedly created the University of Virginia and served as its
first president.At 83,
died on the 50th anniversary of the Signing of the Declaration of Independence
along with John AdamsThomas
Jefferson knew because he himself studied the previous failed attempts at
government. He understood actual history, the nature of God, his laws and the
nature of man. That happens to be way more than what most understand today.
Jefferson really knew his stuff. A voice from the past to lead us in the
future:John F.
Kennedy held a dinner in the white House for a group of the brightest minds in
the nation at that time. He made this statement: "This is perhaps the assembly
of the most intelligence ever to gather at one time in the White House with the
exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone.""When
we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, we shall become as
corrupt as Europe ." -- Thomas Jefferson"The
democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to
work and give to those who would not."--
Thomas Jefferson"It is
incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which
if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world."--
Thomas Jefferson"I
predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from
wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them." --
Thomas Jefferson"My
reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much
government." -- Thomas Jefferson"No
free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas
Jefferson"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."--
Thomas Jefferson"The
tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots
and tyrants." -- Thomas Jefferson"To
compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he
disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical."--
Thomas JeffersonThomas
Jefferson said in 1802:"I
believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than
standing armies.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 the banks will
deprive the people of all property - until their children wake-up homeless on
the continent their fathers conquered."I wish we could get this out to
everyone!!!
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http://www.snopes.com/quotes/jefferson/banks.asp
ReplyDeleteDeflation was not a word in Jeff's time, etc.
Jefferson was an amazing man. His death on the very same day--and on a July 4--as the older John Adams is a coincidence almost saying to us "This is not merely a coincidence, but a sign from your Maker to sit up and take note of these men.
ReplyDeleteWithout Jefferson we would not have the Louisiana Purchase including so many of our western states, with then his follow-up with Lewis and Clark.
Jefferson was for decentralized control (control in the hands of the people), whereas John Adams was for more control in the hands of the government. I think one needs to read books about Adams, such as the Pulitzer Prize-winning "John Adams," by the historian David McCullough, to see how the balance between Jefferson and Adams worked out. I don't think Adams ever quite got his due until that book was published.
These men were amazing. McCullough's "1776" and Richard Ketchum's "Saratoga" are great on George Washington and early Revolutionary War. Good on the second half of the Revolutionary War is Jeff Shaara's "The Glorious Cause." This is also excellent on Franklin in particular, I think, and the critical role he played as "elder statesman" in gaining French support in the war. I think sometimes he is too easily criticized.
Jeff Shaara is the son of Michael Shaara, whose "The Killer Angels"--strictly about the Battle of Gettysburg--won a Pulitzer. When his father passed on, Jeff wrote two excellent historical novels on the Civil War that "sandwich" "Killer Angels" and thus, with the three, give a full picture of that war.
And read Kenneth Roberts' "Oliver Wiswell" (historical novel) for an appreciative view of the Loyalists (Tories mostly) in the Rev. War. These books, in contrast to dry old history books, make our US history come alive.
I have to say one more thing about Jeff Shaara's "The Glorious Cause." It is excellent for showing the great person Lafayette was. He was a young man, an aristocrat, but was humble and completely dedicated to the American patriots' cause, EARNING Washington's trust and confidence and superior in many ways to what Washington had to deal with in his other commanders. If you want to read a wonderful book about the Rev. War AFTER Burgoyne's defeat at Saratoga, this is it. My apparent ancestor, General William Howe, doesn't come off too well in this book or any of the others I've read on the Rev. War. We can thank him (Howe) for having LOST the war for Great Britain.....
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