Excerpts from his letters between 1800 & 1809
(Jefferson served as president of the U.S. between 1801 and 1809.)
1800: The clergy "...believe that any portion of power confided to me, will be exerted in opposition to their schemes. And they believe rightly; for I have sworn upon the altar of god, eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man. But this is all they have to fear from me: and enough, too, in their opinion. ... Letter to Dr. Benjamin Rush.
1802: "Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legislative powers of government reach actions only, and not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should 'make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,' thus building a wall of separation between church and State.... Letter to the Danbury Baptist Association, CT. The phrase "separation of Church and State" is partly based on this letter.
bullet 1803: "I never will, by any word or act, bow to the shrine of intolerance, or admit a right of inquiry into the religious opinions of others."
...Letter to Edward Dowse.
During his presidency, he repeatedly refused to issue a Thanksgiving proclamation. He wrote in a letter to the Rev. Mr. Miller that:
"I consider the Government of the United States as interdicted by the Constitution of the United States from meddling with religious institutions, their doctrines, discipline, or exercises.... But it is only proposed that I should recommend, not prescribe, a day of fasting and praying. That is, I should indirectly assume to the United States an authority over religious exercises, which the Constitution has directly precluded them from.... Every one must act according to the dictates of his own reason and mine tells me that civil powers alone have been given to the President of the United States, and no authority to direct the religious exercises of his constituents." 1