Malcolm Rivera
Thomas Jefferson, the principal author of the Declaration of Independence, believed that a country's constitution should be rewritten every 19 years. In a letter to James Madison, Jefferson asks whether one generation of men has a right to bind another, concluding that any constitution becomes null and void after roughly one generation, or 19 years, since it was first signed. He believed that the earth belongs to the living and not to the dead, meaning that previous generations could not bind the current generation to pay their debts or accept the laws and constitution drawn up by their ancestors. While Jefferson acknowledged that laws and institutions must advance and keep pace with the times, he was not an advocate for frequent changes in laws and constitutions.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Thomas Jefferson's opinion on rewriting the constitution | Jefferson believed that a country's constitution should be rewritten every 19 years |
| Thomas Jefferson's opinion on the sanctity of the constitution | "Some men look at constitutions with sanctimonious reverence, and deem them like the ark of the covenant, too sacred to be touched" |
| Thomas Jefferson's opinion on the US Constitution | Jefferson believed that the US Constitution should lapse and become null and void in 1808 |
| Thomas Jefferson's opinion on the binding nature of the constitution | "The question Whether one generation of men has a right to bind another, seems never to have been started either on this or our side of the water" |
| Thomas Jefferson's opinion on the role of the constitution in society | "Laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind. As that becomes more developed, more enlightened, as new discoveries are made, new truths disclosed, and manners and opinions change with the change of circumstances, institutions must advance also, and keep pace with the times" |
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What You'll Learn
- Thomas Jefferson believed that a country's constitution should be rewritten every 19 years
- Jefferson's reasoning was that the earth belongs to the living, not the dead
- He believed that laws must advance and keep pace with the times
- He was concerned that not everyone in a generation will have their voice heard if a constitution is amended
- Jefferson's idea was that each generation should write its own constitution
Thomas Jefferson believed that a country's constitution should be rewritten every 19 years
Jefferson's views on this matter were shaped by his experiences during the French Revolution and his observations of past governments. He argued that laws and institutions must evolve alongside the progress and enlightenment of the human mind, and that it is tyrannical for a society to be governed by a document written by previous generations. This belief in the importance of adapting to changing circumstances is reflected in his statement that "we might as well require a man to wear still the coat which fitted him when a boy as a civilized society to remain ever under the regimen of their barbarous ancestors".
Jefferson's ideas about constitutional change were not without controversy. While he acknowledged the need for a certain level of stability, refusing to give Kercheval permission to publish his views, he also recognised that constitutions should not be treated as untouchable. He responded favourably to the idea of amending the Virginia state constitution, which he had helped write, demonstrating his willingness to consider revisions.
The concept of regularly rewriting a country's constitution remains a subject of debate. Some argue that it would allow each generation to have a say in their governance, while others worry about the potential influence of special interest groups and the challenges of achieving consensus in a highly partisan environment. Despite these concerns, Jefferson's belief in the importance of adapting constitutions to the changing needs and values of society continues to resonate.
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Jefferson's reasoning was that the earth belongs to the living, not the dead
Thomas Jefferson believed that a country's constitution should be rewritten every 19 years. He argued that any constitution expires after 19 years and must be renewed if it is not to become "an act of force and not of right". In a letter to James Madison, Jefferson questioned whether "one generation of men has a right to bind another", concluding that the American Constitution should become null and void in 1808.
Jefferson's reasoning was that "the earth belongs to the living and not to the dead". He believed that previous generations could not bind the current generation to pay their debts, work in their father's occupation, or follow the laws and constitution set by their ancestors. In other words, he saw it as a form of tyranny for a people to be governed by a document written by previous generations. This idea is reflected in his statement that "laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind". As people become more enlightened and circumstances change, institutions must also advance to keep pace with the times.
Jefferson's views on this matter were shaped by his experiences during the French Revolution, which broke out the same year the U.S. Constitution was ratified. He witnessed the French people overthrowing their monarchy and establishing a republic, and this likely influenced his belief in the right of succeeding generations to develop their own constitutions.
While Jefferson's ideas about rewriting the constitution every 19 years may seem radical, he was not an advocate for frequent changes in laws and constitutions. Instead, he recognized the need for laws and institutions to evolve alongside societal progress and changing circumstances. He compared the situation to a man wearing the same coat he wore as a boy, stating that a civilized society should not remain under the same rules as their barbarous ancestors.
Despite Jefferson's influence as one of the original authors of the Virginia state constitution, he refused to give Kercheval permission to publish his views on amending the constitution. Jefferson's reasoning for this refusal is unclear, but it may be due to his desire to avoid controversy or his recognition of the challenges of achieving widespread agreement on constitutional changes in a politically divided nation.
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He believed that laws must advance and keep pace with the times
Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States, believed that laws and institutions must evolve with the progress of the human mind. He argued that as society becomes more enlightened and new discoveries are made, laws and institutions must also advance to keep up with the times. This belief was reflected in his view that constitutions should not be static but should be rewritten to fit the needs of each new generation.
Jefferson's ideas on constitutional change were influenced by his experiences during the French Revolution and his observations of past governments. In a letter to James Madison in 1789, Jefferson questioned whether one generation had the right to bind another, either through financial debt or political obligation to obey a constitution they did not create. He concluded that constitutions should lapse and become null and void after every generation, approximately every 19 years. Jefferson's reasoning was based on his principle that "the earth belongs to the living and not to the dead," meaning that current generations should not be bound by the laws and constitutions of their ancestors.
Jefferson's views on constitutional change were not without controversy. While some admired his suggestion that each generation should write its own constitution, others, like James Madison, disagreed. Madison argued that improvements made by past generations created a debt that the living benefited from, and thus, the constitution should not be rewritten. Despite his beliefs, Jefferson refused to engage in public controversies over constitutional change and did not allow his views on the matter to be published.
Jefferson's ideas on the need for laws to keep pace with the times extended beyond the US Constitution. In a letter to Samuel Kercheval in 1816, Jefferson acknowledged that the leaders of the American Revolution had been focused on eliminating anything associated with monarchy rather than creating a functional republic. He also expressed concern that not all voices in a generation would be heard if a constitution were amended through a constitutional convention.
Overall, Thomas Jefferson's belief that laws must advance and keep pace with the times reflected his understanding that society and its needs would evolve, and that constitutions and laws should be adaptable to ensure they remain relevant and effective.
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He was concerned that not everyone in a generation will have their voice heard if a constitution is amended
Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States, believed that a country's constitution should be rewritten every 19 years. This belief was based on his idea that each generation should have the right to develop its own constitution. In a letter to James Madison in 1787, Jefferson wrote, "the earth belongs... to the living," and "the dead have neither power nor rights over it." He argued that a constitution should lapse roughly after every generation, which he calculated to be every 19 years, since it was first signed and ratified.
Jefferson's views on this matter were influenced by his experience witnessing the French Revolution, which occurred the same year the U.S. Constitution was ratified. In a letter to Madison, Jefferson questioned whether "one generation of men has a right to bind another," either financially or politically, to a constitution they did not agree to. He believed that previous generations should not bind the current generation to pay their debts, work in their father's occupation, or follow the laws and constitution created by their ancestors.
Jefferson's concern about generational representation in constitutional amendments is evident in his correspondence with Samuel Kercheval. Kercheval sought Jefferson's opinion on the proposal to amend the Virginia state constitution, to which Jefferson responded favorably. He acknowledged that the leaders of the revolution in 1776 were more focused on removing anything associated with monarchy than on establishing a well-functioning republic. However, Jefferson refused permission to publish his views, indicating his reluctance to engage in controversies.
Jefferson's response to Kercheval highlights his belief that constitutions and laws must evolve alongside societal progress. He stated, "I am not an advocate for frequent changes in laws and constitutions, but laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind." He likened requiring a society to adhere to outdated laws to forcing a man to wear a coat that fitted him as a boy.
Jefferson's ideas about constitutional amendments reflect his recognition that societies change and evolve, and that constitutions should be adaptable to accommodate these changes. He worried that if a constitution is amended without input from all members of a generation, some individuals' voices might not be heard or represented. This concern underscores his belief in the importance of ensuring that constitutional changes reflect the will of the people rather than special interest groups.
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Jefferson's idea was that each generation should write its own constitution
Thomas Jefferson believed that a country's constitution should be rewritten every 19 years. He argued that any constitution expires after 19 years and must be renewed if it is not to become "an act of force and not of right". In a letter to James Madison, Jefferson questioned whether "one generation of men has a right to bind another", concluding that the American Constitution should become null and void in 1808.
Jefferson's views on this matter were shaped by his experiences during the French Revolution and the Constitutional Convention. He witnessed the French Revolution first-hand and was in France during the Constitutional Convention, where the founders studied past governments dating back to 375 BC. He also helped write Virginia's original state constitution and was approached by Samuel Kercheval, who sought his opinion on revising and amending it. While Jefferson responded favourably, he refused permission for his views to be published, indicating that he no longer wanted to participate in controversies.
The idea that each generation should write its own constitution has been described as brilliant, but also challenging to implement in today's political climate. It raises questions about how to ensure that all voices within a generation are heard and represented in the constitution-writing process.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Thomas Jefferson believed that a country's constitution should be rewritten every 19 years. He supported this belief by arguing that the earth belongs to the living and not the dead, meaning that previous generations should not bind the current generation to their debts or laws.
Thomas Jefferson believed that laws and institutions must advance and keep pace with the times. He compared this to a man wearing the same coat he wore as a boy. He also believed that the constitution should be rewritten to avoid tyranny, where people are governed by a document written by previous generations.
Thomas Jefferson responded favorably to the idea of rewriting the state constitution of Virginia. He acknowledged that the leaders of the revolution were more focused on eliminating anything associated with a monarchy than on creating a functioning republic. However, he refused to give permission to publish his views on the matter.
