In 1778, Jefferson presented to the Virginia legislature "A Bill for the More General Diffusion of Knowledge, " in which he argued that all forms of government could degenerate into tyranny. The best way of preventing this, he wrote, is "to illuminate, as far as practicable, the minds of the people at large." The study of history could serve as an especially effective bulwark, allowing the people to learn how to defeat tyranny from past examples. Jefferson would return again and again to the importance of education in a democracy. Fareed Zakaria
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Thomas Jefferson once said that the best way of preventing tyranny is to educate the youth of the nation. He thought that by reading, writing and knowledge people would be able to prevent tyranny.

Source: In Defense Of A Liberal Education

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