As one of America’s forefathers I thank you for celebrating me today – Presidents’ Day. I accomplished a great deal in my time. Some of my major contributions:

  • I wrote the first draft of the Declaration of Independence. Four others (John Adams, Ben Franklin, Roger Sherman and Robert Livingston) joined me in reviewing and revising my work before we presented it to Congress.
  • I wrote the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom declaring freedom of religion a “natural right.” It became a model for the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
  • I advocated for free public education. When I wrote “A Bill for the More General Diffusion of Knowledge” I outlined a plan for establishing public schools in my native Virginia.
  • Under President George Washington I served as the first U.S. Secretary of State. In this role I advocated for each state pay its own portion (or “fair share” as President Obama would co-opt from me) of the Revolutionary War debt.
  • I made the Louisiana Purchase. For a scant $15 million I added more than 800,000 square miles of Louisiana Territory from France effectively doubling the size of our nation at the time.
  • I founded the University of Virginia – the first nonsectarian university as well as the first to use the elective course system.
  • I was the central figure in founding the Library of Congress. I sold to the federal government for about $24,000 my personal library of almost 6,700 books which formed the core collection of the Library.

To paraphrase what President Kennedy would go on to say it isn’t what my country did for me it’s what I did for my country. It is in this spirit that I share with you some of my views on Big Government. Please keep them in mind when you step into the voting booth in November.

“A government big enough to give you everything you want is big enough to take away everything you have.”

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

“It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes.”

“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.”

“My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government.”

“To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical.”

“The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.”

Happy Presidents’ Day!!!