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statementVerified

Jefferson writes William Short that he too is an Epicurean

On 31 October 1819 Thomas Jefferson wrote William Short a letter, now in Founders Online, calling himself an Epicurean and attaching a syllabus of the doctrine. In the causal graph this event strengthens Democratic Resilience, a driver that strengthens Having a say in government — an improving welfare path.

Sources: [1][2]

Read the full account

On 31 October 1819 Thomas Jefferson wrote William Short a letter, now in Founders Online, calling himself an Epicurean and attaching a syllabus of the doctrine. Epicurus did not draft a U.S. statute.

Context

A former president citing Garden ethics as a private creed is a reception fact in a republic. It does not make the Garden a constitution. It does show a public man treating ataraxia as compatible with later office already left.

Epicurus is not the sole author of every later object, law, or museum label that uses the name. Shared work with courts, excavators, printers, spouses, officials, and later states does not erase a documented role, and it does not make an ancient person the signer of a twentieth-century statute.

Who was responsible

Contribution type and responsibility level for each recorded actor — not sole-author shorthand.

  • Epicurus

    Person

    Direct responsibility

    responsibility level 0.2 · verified

    Garden founder as named in later editions and finds. Printers, excavators, and editors publish the instrument.

What changed

Fact → Driver → Indicator. Relationship strength orders the paths; it is not the observed indicator movement.

    1. FactJefferson writes William Short that he too is an Epicurean
    2. strengthensDriverDemocratic Resilience
    3. strengthensIndicators (3)Having a say in government
    Improving path

    impact weight 0.35 · Effect from 31 October 1819 · verified

    • Having a say in government

      via Democratic Resilience

      Better

      Strengthens · Relationship strength 0.24 (weight 0.35 × strength 0.7)

      Observed

      29.8% of population aged 16-65 years · 8.13 below the normal line (2023)

      Worse than normal

      Two readings: 30.2% of population aged 16-65 years (2021) and 29.8% of population aged 16-65 years (2023).

      20212023

      Above normal = better

    • Clean elections index

      via Democratic Resilience

      Better

      Strengthens · Relationship strength 0.16 (weight 0.35 × strength 0.45)

      Observed

      0.53 score from 0 to 1 · 0.34 below the normal line (2024)

      Worse than normal

      125 readings, 1900–2024: rose from 0.17 score from 0 to 1 to 0.53 score from 0 to 1.

      Above normal = better

    • WJP Rule of Law Index (global)

      via Democratic Resilience

      Better

      Strengthens · Relationship strength 0.16 (weight 0.35 × strength 0.45)

      Observed

      0.55 index score (0-1) · 0.26 below the normal line (2024)

      Worse than normal

      Above normal = better

Evidence

The sources behind this fact and its verification state.

Verified2 sources on file
  1. 1.Jefferson to William Short, 31 October 1819National Archives Founders Online · High credibility · verified
  2. 2.Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy — EpicurusStanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy · High credibility · verified

Causal path

How this event connects to drivers and indicators in the graph.

  1. ActorEpicurus
  2. contributed toFactJefferson writes William Short that he too is an Epicurean
  3. strengthensDriverDemocratic Resilience
  4. strengthensIndicatorHaving a say in government

Cite this page

Factrail. (2026). Jefferson writes William Short that he too is an Epicurean. Factrail. https://factrail.ai/facts/ep-jefferson-1819-letter

https://factrail.ai/facts/ep-jefferson-1819-letter

Accessed 16 October 2026.

By the Factrail desk · Method: how we source and score · Last reviewed

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