Rebellion As Duty: Injustice And The Words Of Thomas Jefferson

When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty is a quote commonly attributed to Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States and the writer of the Declaration of Independence. However, there is no evidence that he ever said this. The Thomas Jefferson Foundation calls the quote spurious, and it cannot be found in any of his writings. The quote first appeared in print in 2006, though it had been circulating for decades prior. Despite this, the quote captures some of the ideas that Jefferson expressed in the Declaration of Independence, such as the right and duty of the people to throw off a government that is reducing them under absolute Despotism.

The quote is often misattributed to Thomas Jefferson

The quote, "When injustice becomes law, rebellion becomes duty," is often circulated with the attribution to Thomas Jefferson, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States and the principal author of the Declaration of Independence. However, this quote is not actually something he wrote or said, and the misattribution likely stems from a modern misunderstanding or misinterpretation of his thoughts and writings.

The phrase itself does not appear in any of Jefferson's known writings or speeches. Jefferson's written corpus is extensive and well-documented, and this particular sentence does not match his writing style or known rhetorical devices. While Jefferson certainly had strong beliefs about liberty, justice, and the role of government, the concept of "rebellion" as a duty is not a theme that he explicitly promoted.

It is important to understand the historical context of Jefferson's thoughts on justice and government. Jefferson was a complex thinker, and while he advocated for certain individual liberties, he also held conflicting views, particularly regarding his stance on slavery and his complicated relationship with federal power. His views on the role of government evolved over time, and he often grappled with the tension between individual rights and the need for a functioning society.

Jefferson's writings do emphasize the importance of resisting tyranny and upholding just and equitable laws. In the Declaration of Independence, for example, he articulates the belief that governments derive their power from the consent of the governed and that it is the right of the people to alter or abolish a government that becomes destructive of their unalienable rights. However, he stops short of explicitly advocating for rebellion as a duty when faced with injustice.

The misattribution of this quote to Jefferson speaks to a broader tendency to simplify the complex ideas of historical figures or to use their names to lend credibility to ideas they may not have actually espoused. It is important for those interested in history and political thought to carefully examine primary sources and understand the nuances of these figures' beliefs, rather than relying on out-of-context quotations that may not accurately reflect their broader philosophies.

Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence

Thomas Jefferson is considered the primary author of the Declaration of Independence, though his draft went through a process of revision by his fellow committee members and the Second Continental Congress. The document was drafted by a committee made up of John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingston, with Jefferson, recognised for his ability with words, writing the first draft.

The Declaration of Independence was America's founding moment, marking its independence from the British Empire. However, this independence was not inevitable. For most of the eighteenth century, the relationship between Britain and her American colonies was mutually beneficial. The mother country purchased the colonists' goods, defended them from aggressors, and extended British rights and liberties to colonists. In return, colonists traded primarily with Britain, obeyed British laws and customs, and pledged their loyalty to the British Crown. It was only in the spring of 1776 that most colonists began to consider independence, encouraged by Thomas Paine's pamphlet, "Common Sense".

On June 7, 1776, Virginian Richard Henry Lee made the first formal proposal for independence in the Continental Congress, insisting that "all political connection is, and ought to be, dissolved" between Great Britain and the American colonies. Congress then nominated a drafting committee, which included Thomas Jefferson, to compose a declaration of independence. Jefferson, known for his eloquent writing style and reserved manner, became the principal author.

Jefferson drafted the statement between June 11 and June 28, 1776, and submitted drafts to Adams and Franklin, who made some changes. The draft was then presented to Congress following the adoption of the independence section of the Lee Resolution on July 2nd. The congressional revision process took all of July 3rd and most of July 4th. Finally, in the afternoon of July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence.

Although Jefferson is considered the primary author, he did not embrace his status as the "scribe of independence" publicly until the last year of his life. This wasn't false modesty; "sublimation of self" and political "disinterestedness" were eighteenth-century norms. Jefferson himself claimed that credit must also go to Locke, Montesquieu, the Scottish Enlightenment, and the long struggle for English civil liberties.

While Jefferson never said, "When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty," this phrase captures some of the ideas expressed in the Declaration of Independence. For example, the Declaration states that "when a long train of abuses and usurpations... evinces a design to reduce [the people] under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government." Jefferson's belief in rebellion is also evident in a letter he wrote in 1787: "I like a little rebellion now and then. It is like a storm in the atmosphere."

Jefferson believed in rebellion

While it is believed by many that Thomas Jefferson said, "When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty", there is no evidence that he ever did. The Thomas Jefferson Foundation calls the quote "spurious", and it cannot be found in any of his writings. The quote is believed to have been first attributed to Jefferson in 2006, although it had been in circulation for decades.

Despite this, Jefferson did believe in rebellion, and some of his letters convey that sentiment. In 1787, he wrote, "The spirit of resistance to government is so valuable on certain occasions, that I wish it to be always kept alive. It will often be exercised when wrong, but better so than not to be exercised at all. I like a little rebellion now and then. It is like a storm in the atmosphere."

Jefferson, who wrote the Declaration of Independence, expressed similar ideas in this document, stating that when a long train of abuses and usurpations pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is the right of the people, and their duty, to throw off such a government.

Jefferson's belief in rebellion was likely influenced by his progressive attitude towards African slaves, for which he was known and criticised. While he kept and sold slaves, he was lauded years after his death by Frederick Douglass for his principles and progressive attitudes. For example, Jefferson's original draft of the Declaration of Independence included a grievance about the slave trade, which was removed so as not to alienate the southern states.

Jefferson wrote letters that conveyed his sentiment of believing in rebellion

It is important to note that the quote "When injustice becomes law, rebellion becomes duty" is often misattributed to Thomas Jefferson, but there is no evidence that he actually said or wrote those exact words. However, the sentiment expressed in this quote aligns with some of Jefferson's beliefs and writings, particularly his thoughts on resistance to tyranny and the right to revolution. Here is some information on this:

Thomas Jefferson, the principal author of the Declaration of Independence and the third President of the United States, is well-known for his advocacy of certain human rights and civil liberties. In his writings, he often expressed a strong belief in the natural rights of mankind, including the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Jefferson's views on rebellion were shaped by his philosophical underpinnings and his experiences during the American Revolution. He believed that governments derive their power from the consent of the governed and that when a government becomes destructive of the very rights it is instituted to protect, it is the right and duty of the people to alter or abolish it.

In a letter to William Stephens Smith in 1787, Jefferson wrote, "God forbid we should ever be 20 years without such a rebellion. The people can not be all, and always, well informed. The part which is wrong will be discontented in proportion to the importance of the facts they misconceive. If they remain quiet under such misconceptions it is lethargy, the forerunner of death to the public liberty. We have had 13 states independent 11 years. There has been one rebellion. That comes to one rebellion in a century and a half for each state. What country ever existed a century and half without a rebellion? And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure."

This letter conveys Jefferson's sentiment that periodic rebellions are necessary to maintain a free and just society. He believed that it was the duty of the people to resist and overthrow a government that acted contrary to their interests or infringed upon their natural rights. Jefferson's words reflect a deep-seated belief in the right of the people to rebel against injustice and tyranny.

In another letter to James Madison in 1789, Jefferson wrote, "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. Unsuccessful rebellions indeed generally establish the encroachments on the rights of the people which have produced them. An observation of this truth should render honest republican governors so mild in their punishment of rebellions, as not to discourage them too much. It is a medicine necessary for the sound health of government." Here, Jefferson reiterates his belief in the positive role of rebellion in safeguarding liberty and maintaining a healthy political system.

The quote captures some of the ideas that Jefferson expressed in the Declaration of Independence

The quote, "When injustice becomes law, rebellion becomes duty," is often attributed to Thomas Jefferson, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States and the principal author of the Declaration of Independence. While there is some debate about the authenticity of this exact quote, the sentiment it expresses aligns with Jefferson's beliefs and writings, particularly those expressed in the Declaration of Independence.

In the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson articulates a philosophy of governance rooted in the inherent rights of individuals and the social contract theory of government. He asserts that governments derive their power from the consent of the governed and are instituted to secure certain unalienable rights, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Jefferson further argues that when a government fails to protect these rights and instead becomes a force of oppression, it is the right and duty of the people to alter or abolish it and establish a new government that better safeguards their liberties.

Additionally, the quote underscores Jefferson's distrust of unchecked governmental power and his belief in the right of revolution. He recognized that power could be corrupting and that those in power might abuse their positions to infringe upon the liberties of the people. By stating that "rebellion becomes duty," Jefferson implies that there are circumstances in which the use of force or revolutionary action is justified to overthrow an oppressive regime and restore a just and equitable society.

Furthermore, the sentiment expressed in the quote aligns with Jefferson's conception of the social contract. According to this theory, individuals in a state of nature come together and form a society by entering into a contract, either implicitly or explicitly, whereby they agree to establish a government to secure their rights. However, if the government violates the terms of this contract by infringing upon the rights it was created to protect, the people are no longer bound by it and have the right to resist and overthrow that government.

In conclusion, while the exact quote may not be verbatim from Jefferson's writings, it encapsulates the spirit of his political philosophy as articulated in the Declaration of Independence. It reflects his commitment to justice, his belief in limited government, and his recognition of the people's right to resist and overthrow an unjust and oppressive regime. Thus, the quote serves as a reminder of the foundational principles upon which the United States was established and continues to inspire movements for social and political change around the world.

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