Named source · 1815

Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, June 10, 1815 Quotes by Thomas Jefferson: Context & Meanings

1 quotation linked to Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, June 10, 1815 by or associated with Thomas Jefferson, with source notes, explanations and related topics.

More by Thomas Jefferson

Read the source

Open a public or archival text connected with these quotations

Use these links when you want to inspect the wording in its wider work or edition.

Primary / edition source · loc.gov ↗

Represented passages

1 quotations with source context and meaning

Source identified1

Image design Golden Hour

Read & copy

“I cannot live without books.”

Thomas Jefferson

Meaning & context

Jefferson’s blunt statement makes books a necessity rather than a decoration, reflecting how central reading remained even after he sold his library to Congress.

Source details

Letter from Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, June 10, 1815; the Library of Congress preserves and exhibits the wording.

↓ Download image (SVG)

Open a public or archival text connected with these quotations

Prominent ideas connected with the quotations represented here

1 quotations with source context and meaning

Continue through other sources by Thomas Jefferson