# DC Building/Jefferson Quote: Help!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-building-jefferson-quote-help/234107>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 13, 2004, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-building-jefferson-quote-help/234107 "2004-03-13T19:31:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\
**Post date:** [March 14, 2004, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-building-jefferson-quote-help/234107/21 "2004-03-14T15:42:10Z")

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> [@bibliophage](#):
>
> The hard and fast distinction between its and it’s wasn’t fully developed until almost the middle of the nineteenth century.

And looking around, it still isn’t today.

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**Author:** ![rjciii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecae2f/32.png) [@rjciii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjciii)\
**Post date:** [March 14, 2004, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-building-jefferson-quote-help/234107/22 "2004-03-14T17:55:04Z")

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What initially struck me about the supposed quote was the use of the word “democracy”. This country wasn’t typically refered to as a democracy until the early 1900’s, IIRC. (Could be way off, though). Also, wasn’t Jefferson fairly anti-democracy, pro-republic, along with many of the founders?

Okay, sorry for the vague reply. I’ll try to find more, but I suspect we’re barking up the wrong politician.

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**Author:** ![rjciii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecae2f/32.png) [@rjciii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjciii)\
**Post date:** [March 14, 2004, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dc-building-jefferson-quote-help/234107/23 "2004-03-14T18:05:15Z")

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Here we go:

> [@](#):
>
> Jefferson rarely used the term “democracy,” and more often used the term “republic,” even referring to “pure” republics.

> [@](#):
>
> “It must be acknowledged that the term “republic” is of very vague application in every language… Were I to assign to this term a precise and definite idea, I would say purely and simply it means a government by its citizens in mass, acting directly and personally according to rules established by the majority; and that every other government is more or less republican in proportion as it has in its composition more or less of this ingredient of direct action of the citizens.” --Thomas Jefferson to John Taylor, 1816.

[http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/7970/jefpco55.htm](http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/7970/jefpco55.htm)

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