Quote
By Thomas Jefferson
…the mass of mankind has not been born, with saddles on their backs, nor a favored few booted and spurred, ready to ride them legitimately, by the grace of god.
- Source
- Letter to Roger C. Weightman, June 24, 1826 · Founders Online, Early Access document
- Read at
- Founders Online, National Archives
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About this quote
Jefferson's reply of June 24, 1826, declining an invitation to the 50th anniversary celebration of American independence in Washington because of ill health. Founders Online marks this document as an Early Access text that is not yet an authoritative final version. Jefferson often began sentences with a lowercase letter and wrote & for and, and the Papers keep that.