Shays' Rebellion
— a sometimes-violent uprising of farmers angry over conditions in Massachusetts in 1786 — prompted Thomas Jefferson to express the view that “a little rebellion now and then is a good thing” for America.
What is Thomas Jefferson's most famous quote?
“
We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.
. . .” “it is the great parent of science & of virtue: and that a nation will be great in both, always in proportion as it is free.” “our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost.”
Who said a little rebellion now and then is a good thing?
“A Little Rebellion Now and Then Is a Good Thing: A Letter from
Thomas Jefferson
to James Madison.” Early America Review 1, no.
What is Jefferson's letter to Madison about?
It began on October 24, 1787, a little more than a month after the Convention ended, when Madison informed Jefferson that George Mason, a Virginia colleague, had left Philadelphia in opposition to the Constitution—“
He considers the want of a Bill of Rights as a fatal objection
.” Jefferson replied two months later that …
What did the Founding Fathers say about revolution?
The Revolution was
in the minds and hearts of the people
; a change in their religious sentiments of their duties and obligations… This radical change in the principles, opinions, sentiments, and affections of the people, was the real American Revolution.”
Is it a good thing to rebel a little now and then?
“I hold it that a little rebellion now and then
is a good thing
, and as necessary in the political world as storms in the physical.”
Is rebellion a good thing?
How rebels can add value. Rebel leaders might cause initial fear and discomfort, but they create a sense of excitement and a vision that people can get behind. Employees who rebel create the friction required to test new ideas and alternative ways of doing things that lead to better solutions.
What was Alexander Hamilton's famous quote?
Alexander Hamilton's most well-known quote with regards to debt is “
A national debt will be to us a national blessing.
” However, this is an unfair editing of what Hamilton actually wrote, leaving out the key part of the phrase – “if it is not excessive.”
What did Thomas Jefferson believe in government?
Jefferson's most fundamental political belief was
an “absolute acquiescence in the decisions of the majority
.” Stemming from his deep optimism in human reason, Jefferson believed that the will of the people, expressed through elections, provided the most appropriate guidance for directing the republic's course.
What is the most famous quote from the Declaration of Independence?
“
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable Rights
, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.
What did Jefferson mean when he said the earth belongs to the living and not to the dead?
Jefferson believed in the principle that “the earth belongs to the living and not to the dead” which meant that
previous generations could not bind the current generation to pay their debts
, or require them to work in their father's occupation, or to accept the laws and constitution drawn up by their ancestors.
What is Jefferson's main point about Shays rebellion?
Thomas Jefferson believed
that any rebellion was a good thing because it helped to protect the people's liberty and limit the power of the government
. had to say and what they believed.
What did Thomas Jefferson say about revolution?
Commenting on the continuing revolutions in Holland and France, retired Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson predicted: “
this ball of liberty, I believe most piously, is now so well in motion that it will roll round the globe, at least the enlightened part of it, for light & liberty go together.
How many founding fathers had slaves?
In fact, 17 of the 55 delegates to the Constitutional Convention owned a total of about
1,400 slaves
. Of the first 12 U.S. presidents, eight were slave owners. These men have traditionally been considered national heroes. Buildings, streets, cities, schools, and monuments are named in their honor.
Were any of the Founding Fathers born in England?
48 of the 56 signers were born in America. Two were born in
England
(Button Gwinnett, Robert Morris), two in Ireland (George Taylor, Matthew Thornton), two in Scotland (James Wilson, John Witherspoon), one in Northern Ireland (James Smith), and one in Wales (Francis Lewis).
What were the Founding Fathers trying to create when they divided powers?
This is called the “separation of powers.” By dividing power into three separate branches, the Founding Fathers hoped to
prevent misuse of power
. They also made a clever system of checks and balances to encourage the three branches of government to work together so that the government works for all of the people.
