Thomas Jefferson

Letter from Thomas Jefferson to the Danbury Baptists, January 1, 1802

May 31, 2017 Religious Freedom Archive

Thomas Jefferson January 1, 1802 The Danbury Baptist Association was founded in 1790 as a coalition of about 26 churches in the Connecticut Valley. Connecticut had established Congregationalism as its official state religion. It was as a persecuted religious minority that they wrote to President Jefferson asking for his help in overthrowing the establishment. Jefferson’s response was not some throwaway courtesy note but the product of careful deliberation involving several of his top advisors. We know this with some certainty…

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Letter from Thomas Jefferson to Roger C. Weightman, June 24, 1826

May 31, 2017 Religious Freedom Archive

Thomas Jefferson June 24, 1826 This is thought to be one of Jefferson’s final letters. Asked to participate in a Fourth of July celebration, he reflected on the meaning of American Independence, declaring freedom of conscience to be one of the greatest achievements. RESPECTED SIR, The kind invitation I receive from you, on the part of the citizens of the city of Washington, to be present with them at their celebration on the fiftieth anniversary of American Independence, as one of…

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Letter from Thomas Jefferson to Mrs. Samuel H. Smith, August 6, 1816

May 31, 2017 Religious Freedom Archive

Thomas Jefferson August 6, 1816 After a friend reports that she’d heard that Jefferson had become religious, Jefferson scathingly explains that his views had long been mischaracterized by his enemies. have received, dear Madam, your very friendly letter of July 21st, and assure you that I feel with deep sensibility its kind expressions towards myself, and the more as from a person than whom no others could be more in sympathy with my own affections. I often call to mind…

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Letter from Thomas Jefferson to Joseph Priestley

May 31, 2017 Religious Freedom Archive

Thomas Jefferson April 9, 1803 In 1803, Jefferson had hoped that someone other than he would write a book on the true merits of Christianity. He eventually wrote a “Syllabus of an Estimate of the Merit of the Doctrines of Jesus.” Here is a letter he sent to Joseph Priestley, the scientist who discovered Oxygen and had written extensively on Christianity, explaining his project. He later would return to the project and create what came to be known as the…

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Jefferson Condolence Letter to John Adams After the Death of Abigail

May 31, 2017 Religious Freedom Archive

Thomas Jefferson November 13, 1818 Jefferson wrote this extraordinary condolence letter upon hearing of the death of John Adams’ wife, Abigail. MONTICELLO, November 13, 1818. The public papers, my dear friend, announce the fatal event of which your letter of October the 20th had given me ominous foreboding. Tried myself in the school of affliction, by the loss of every form of connection which can rive the human heart, I know well, and feel what you have lost, what you…

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Letter from Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, April 11, 1823

May 31, 2017 Religious Freedom Archive

Thomas Jefferson April 11, 1823 Jefferson attacks Calvin, predestination, the immaculate conception and other facets of Christianity. DEAR SIR, — The wishes expressed, in your last favor, that I may continue in life and health until I become a Calvinist, at least in his exclamation of `mon Dieu! jusque à quand’! would make me immortal. I can never join Calvin in addressing his god. He was indeed an Atheist, which I can never be; or rather his religion was Daemonism….

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Letter from Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, September 4, 1823

May 31, 2017 Religious Freedom Archive

Thomas Jefferson September 4, 1823 Jefferson believed that the mind-numbing power of clergy in Europe made citizens there less likely to rebel. DEAR SIR, Your letter of Aug. 15. was recieved in due time, and with the welcome of every thing which comes from you. With it’s opinions on the difficulties of revolutions, from despotism to freedom, I very much concur. The generation which commences a revolution can rarely compleat it. Habituated from their infancy to passive submission of body…

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Letter from Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, December 20, 1787

May 31, 2017 Religious Freedom Archive

Thomas Jefferson December 20, 1787 Writing from Paris, where he was ambassador, Jefferson is responding to reports he’s hearing about the new Constitution. Some advocates of the Constitution argued that a Bill of Rights was unnecessary because Congress could only exercise powers it was explicitly granted. Jefferson disagreed. DEAR SIR, My last to you was of Oct. 8 by the Count de Moustier. Yours of July 18. Sep. 6. & Oct. 24. have been successively received, yesterday, the day before…

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Letter from Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, March 15, 1789

May 31, 2017 Religious Freedom Archive

Thomas Jefferson March 15, 1789 James Madison had written Jefferson suggesting that perhaps a Bill of Rights might not be wise, since it would not have the breadth that the two of them might want. Jefferson responded forcefully that a Bill of Rights was essential. Your thoughts on the subject of the Declaration of rights in the letter of Oct. 17. I have weighed with great satisfaction. Some of them had not occurred to me before, but were acknoleged just…

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Letter from Thomas Jefferson to F. A. Van Der Kemp, May 25, 1816

May 31, 2017 Religious Freedom Archive

Thomas Jefferson May 25, 1816 Jefferson explains that his various efforts to highlight what he sees as the uncorrupted portions of Jesus’s teachings. He makes reference to the project he undertook while President, which he says was hasty, and to his forthcoming efforts to create a new Bible using just the valuable parts of scripture. This project resulted in the Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth, better known as The Jefferson Bible. SIR,-Your favor of March 24th was handed…

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