Thomas Jefferson: “Those Who Hammer Their Guns into Plows” Quote-Incorrect Attribution!
Summary of eRumor:
Thomas Jefferson once said, “Those who hammer their guns into plows will plow for those who do not.”
The Truth:
There’s no official record tying this quote about hammering guns into plows to Thomas Jefferson.
The earliest version of the quote surfaced in the 2009 book “Life Changing Thoughts: Thousands of Inspiring, Life-changing and Humorous Thoughts” by Gary W. Smith.
The quote has since widely been attributed to Thomas Jefferson in the never-ending debate on gun control. However, Smith’s book doesn’t cite a source for the quote, and there doesn’t appear to be any official record of Jefferson saying it.
The Thomas Jefferson Foundation, which owns more than 2,500 acres of Jefferson’s original 5,000-acre plantation, Monticello, and overseas preservation and education about Jefferson’s legacy has scoured records and concluded, “We have not found any evidence that Thomas Jefferson said or wrote (the quote).”
So, given the lack of any official records of Thomas Jefferson having said, “Those who hammer their guns into plows will plow for those who do not,” we’re ruling this one as a case of “incorrect attribution.”