Who said “The care of human life and happiness, and not their destruction, is the first and only…”?

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Thomas Jefferson. A published source records them saying or writing it.

SourceLetter To the Republican Citizens of Washington county, Maryland ()

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“The care of human life and happiness, and not their destruction, is the first and only legitimate object of good government.”
— Thomas Jefferson
VerifiedLetter To the Republican Citizens of Washington county, Maryland () · evidenceGovernment
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Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: Letter To the Republican Citizens of Washington county, Maryland ().

APA

Jefferson, T. (n.d.). The care of human life and happiness, and not their destruction, is the first and only legitimate object of good government. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/20286-the-care-of-human-life-and-happiness-and/

MLA

Jefferson, Thomas. “The care of human life and happiness, and not their destruction, is the first and only legitimate object of good government.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/20286-the-care-of-human-life-and-happiness-and/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Jefferson, Thomas. “The care of human life and happiness, and not their destruction, is the first and only legitimate object of good government.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/20286-the-care-of-human-life-and-happiness-and/.

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More quotes by Thomas Jefferson

“The God who gave us life, gave us liberty at the same time.”
VerifiedSummary View of the Rights of British America (1774); The Writings of Thomas Jefferson (19 Vols., 1905) edited by Andrew A. Lipscomb and Albert Ellery Bergh, Vol. 1, p. 211 · evidenceDetails & citeLiberty
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