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Lafayette
Played by the same actor as Lafayette, Jefferson is the drafter of the Declaration of Independence and the country’s third president. Jefferson, who preached freedom but held hundreds of slaves, is one of Hamilton’s primary antagonists; he despises Hamilton’s plan for a national bank, he is frequently xenophobic, and he is constantly trying to ruin Hamilton’s reputation (“We Know”). Ultimately, however, Hamilton respects Jefferson more than he respects Aaron Burr, largely because Jefferson has strong beliefs and principles—more than once, Hamilton and Jefferson cooperate, a testament to the necessity of both disagreement and collaboration in democracy (“The Room Where It Happens”).
Jefferson Quotes in Hamilton
The Hamilton quotes below are all either spoken by Jefferson or refer to Jefferson. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Act 1: The Schuyler Sisters
Quotes
ANGELICA: I’ve been reading Common Sense by Thomas Paine.
So men say that I’m intense or I’m insane.
You want a revolution? I wanna revelation
So listen to my declaration:
ELIZA, ANGELICA, PEGGY: “We hold these truths to be self-evident
That all men are created equal.”
ANGELICA: And when I meet Thomas Jefferson […]
I’m ‘a compel him to include women in the sequel!
WOMEN: Work!
Related Characters:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Act 2: Cabinet Battle #1
Quotes
HAMILTON: Thomas. That was a real nice declaration.
Welcome to the present. We’re running a real nation.
Would you like to join us, or stay mellow,
Doin’ whatever the hell it is you do in Monticello?
If we assume the debts, the Union gets a new line of credit, a financial diuretic.
How do you not get it? If we’re aggressive and competitive
The Union gets a boost. You’d rather give it a sedative?
A civics lesson from a slaver. Hey neighbor.
Your debts are paid cuz you don’t pay for labor.
“We plant seeds in the ground. We create.” Yeah, keep ranting.
We know who’s really doing the planting.
Act 2: The Room Where it Happens
Quotes
HAMILTON, JEFFERSON, MADISON, WASHINGTON: What do you want, Burr?
What do you want, Burr?
If you stand for nothing,
Burr, what do you fall for?
BURR: I
Wanna be in
The room where it happens.
The room where it happens.
I
Wanna be in
The room where it happens.
The room where it happens.
Act 2: Cabinet Battle #2
Quotes
JEFFERSON: He knows nothing of loyalty.
Smells like new money, dresses like fake royalty.
Desperate to rise above his station,
Everything he does betrays the ideals of our nation.
And if ya don’t know, now ya know, Mr. President.
Act 2: Election of 1800
Quotes
HAMILTON: I have never agreed with Jefferson once.
We have fought on like seventy-five diff’rent fronts!
But when all is said and all is done.
Jefferson has beliefs. Burr has none.
Get the entire Hamilton LitChart as a printable PDF.
Jefferson Quotes in Hamilton
The Hamilton quotes below are all either spoken by Jefferson or refer to Jefferson. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Act 1: The Schuyler Sisters
Quotes
ANGELICA: I’ve been reading Common Sense by Thomas Paine.
So men say that I’m intense or I’m insane.
You want a revolution? I wanna revelation
So listen to my declaration:
ELIZA, ANGELICA, PEGGY: “We hold these truths to be self-evident
That all men are created equal.”
ANGELICA: And when I meet Thomas Jefferson […]
I’m ‘a compel him to include women in the sequel!
WOMEN: Work!
Related Characters:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Act 2: Cabinet Battle #1
Quotes
HAMILTON: Thomas. That was a real nice declaration.
Welcome to the present. We’re running a real nation.
Would you like to join us, or stay mellow,
Doin’ whatever the hell it is you do in Monticello?
If we assume the debts, the Union gets a new line of credit, a financial diuretic.
How do you not get it? If we’re aggressive and competitive
The Union gets a boost. You’d rather give it a sedative?
A civics lesson from a slaver. Hey neighbor.
Your debts are paid cuz you don’t pay for labor.
“We plant seeds in the ground. We create.” Yeah, keep ranting.
We know who’s really doing the planting.
Act 2: The Room Where it Happens
Quotes
HAMILTON, JEFFERSON, MADISON, WASHINGTON: What do you want, Burr?
What do you want, Burr?
If you stand for nothing,
Burr, what do you fall for?
BURR: I
Wanna be in
The room where it happens.
The room where it happens.
I
Wanna be in
The room where it happens.
The room where it happens.
Act 2: Cabinet Battle #2
Quotes
JEFFERSON: He knows nothing of loyalty.
Smells like new money, dresses like fake royalty.
Desperate to rise above his station,
Everything he does betrays the ideals of our nation.
And if ya don’t know, now ya know, Mr. President.
Act 2: Election of 1800
Quotes
HAMILTON: I have never agreed with Jefferson once.
We have fought on like seventy-five diff’rent fronts!
But when all is said and all is done.
Jefferson has beliefs. Burr has none.
