History - Past and Perspective
Misquoting People, Changing History
gna.gov
Misquoted: John Adams is often quoted as saying he believed the world would be better off without religion, but he wrote a letter to Thomas Jefferson in which he credited religion with improving life on earth.

Misquoting People, Changing History

Prominent people are often misquoted in an attempt to discredit them. Sometimes, such misquotes have led to a false understanding of history. ...
Steve Byas
Article audio sponsored by The John Birch Society

Quoting a famous person, the Bible, or even a movie is a common tactic to make a point or win an argument. But sometimes the quotations can be taken out of context, misattributed, or in some cases just made up. 

As the joke goes, Thomas Jefferson once warned us to be careful of quotations found on Facebook or Twitter.

Of course, some — probably most — of those who quote a famous person inaccurately or falsely are simply repeating what they have heard. Even honest scholars can fall for the misquote. But others knowingly misquote, or take a quote out of its proper context, to score a political point. 

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