Thomas Jefferson/misquotes

Misquoting Thomas Jefferson seems to be a popular pastime on both sides of the political spectrum. Some things Jefferson did not say but which are widely attributed to him include the following:

Democracy

A democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where fifty-one percent of the people may take away the rights of the other forty-nine.

• 2007-08-15 Rove's 'Mob' Remark: An Age-Old Social Slur: "The esteemed founder never said it. The folks at Monticello's research library witheringly say that old saw has been dogging him for years."

Attributions:

• Bevin Chu, on LewRockwell.com
• Thinkexist.com (index of quotations)
• 2008-12-31 Meltdown 2011: We're a Republic, NOT a Democracy

Government

A government big enough to give you everything you need, is a government big enough to take away everything that you have....

– Monticello has not found this anywhere in Jefferson's writings

Religion

• /Christianity "...I do not find in our particular superstition of Christianity one redeeming feature...": a quote with two versions

Social Welfare

The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.

I can't find a definitive statement that he did not say this, but it's not in any of the reliable collections and nobody cites a source for it.

Attributions:

• Democracy Is Not Freedom (sidebar)
• Sovereignty Colorado