Jefferson’s Correspondence with Adams

Thomas Jefferson exchanged numerous letters with John Adams regarding governance, freedom, and the corruption present in England during George III’s reign. Jefferson once expressed a strong dislike for Adams, saying, “I had strong reasons to wish there was a sea of fire between us and that island.”

Adams initially appointed Jefferson as the author of the Declaration of Independence. In doing so, Jefferson crafted a pivotal statement—marking a clear distinction between liberty and tyranny, as if delineated by a sea of fire.

With that single line, a historical tide of tyranny was reversed, ushering humanity into a newfound and enduring freedom.

Back in classical times, pharaohs viewed themselves as divine, treating their subjects as mere inferiors meant for slavery and submissiveness. They were placed high above those whom they ruled.

In contrast, the tribes of Israel resided in Goshen. Freed by Moses, they camped at the foot of Mount Sinai, where they received the Ten Commandments—God’s laws that require compliance from all, whether rulers or commoners.

Fast forward several centuries, and democracies emerged in Greece and Rome. While these systems had their flaws, they offered more freedom than the empires that surrounded them.

In Greece, freedom existed until Philip II of Macedon consumed the city-states, handing over the empire to his son Alexander. After conquering Egypt, Alexander insisted on being addressed as “Son of Ammon,” adopting a god-like persona reminiscent of tyranny.

Rome enjoyed a Republic for nearly five centuries before it devolved into an Empire. The Julio-Claudian lineage eventually gave rise to Caligula, who demanded divine worship in the Temple of Solomon, thus initiating the tyrannical rule of the Caesar family.

In medieval Europe, kings may have refrained from claiming divinity, but they crowned ordinary people, asserting their divine anointment with the same authority as a celestial body appearing over the sea.

King John of England governed with an overwhelming will, and in 1215 he was compelled to sign the Magna Carta, a cornerstone document representing emancipation in Europe since Roman times.

Henry VIII, a descendant of John, wielded the dual power of king and church leader, justifying his reign by divine right—a notion echoed by subsequent monarchs. Everything, they claimed, occurred according to God’s will.

Consequently, human history often reads as a tale of oppression.

George III, a contemporary of Jefferson, ignited the revolutionary spirit in Jefferson’s writings. “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.”

This principle asserts equality in rights across the board, meaning no pharaoh, emperor, conqueror, king, queen, or dictator possesses the authority to strip anyone of these rights.

If our rights are divinely attributed, then no one can declare our inequalities to subjugate us. These rights include the freedom of religion, speech, assembly, and the option to remove unsatisfactory leaders.

Thus, our government serves us, never the other way around.

With that statement, humanity’s long-standing oppression tilted toward liberation, allowing us to grasp genuine freedom.

The most crucial historical lesson? Tyranny will always linger.

In more recent times, the Bolsheviks dismantled a 300-year imperial rule, plundering churches and executing priests—noting that God was not a socialist. They placed themselves above divinity.

When Hitler rose to power, his goal was to annihilate the Jewish population, resulting in the death of 6 million Jews. Recognizing that neither Jews nor God would align with his Nazi ethos, he, too, claimed superiority over God.

Mao Zedong, in China, was responsible for millions of deaths, eradicating moral values through severe purges. His regime offered no sanctuary to Confucius, as he elevated himself above divinity.

This constitutes tyranny.

Today, some American democratic socialists challenge the beliefs of Jewish citizens. They call for the removal of the Ten Commandments from educational institutions and public squares, attacking Christianity and Western heritage, labeling our nation as flawed and in need of profound change.

It’s American socialism that warrants dismantling.

As we commemorate the 250th anniversary of one of freedom’s greatest declarations, let’s remain steadfast in our faith in God, the creator and protector of our rights.

For the sake of all freedoms, let’s hold tightly to the revolutionary fire with unwavering resolve.