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John Adams

Explore inspiring quotes by John Adams, a remarkable figure whose words continue to inspire and motivate people around the world.

39

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18

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2

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government

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government

6 quotes

power

5 quotes

society

3 quotes

politics

3 quotes

men

3 quotes

great

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freedom

2 quotes

war

2 quotes

Featured Quotes by John Adams

Some of the most memorable quotes from this author

"Old minds are like old horses you must exercise them if you wish to keep them in working order."

— John Adamsage

"I always consider the settlement of America with reverence and wonder, as the opening of a grand scene and design in providence, for the illumination of the ignorant and the emancipation of the slavish part of mankind all over the earth."

— John Adamsdesign

"Fear is the foundation of most governments."

— John Adamsfear

"Liberty cannot be preserved without general knowledge among the people."

— John Adamsfreedom

"When people talk of the freedom of writing, speaking or thinking I cannot choose but laugh. No such thing ever existed. No such thing now exists but I hope it will exist. But it must be hundreds of years after you and I shall write and speak no more."

— John Adamsfreedom

"Power always thinks... that it is doing God's service when it is violating all his laws."

— John Adamsgod

All Quotes by John Adams

Browse all quotes from this author

"Old minds are like old horses you must exercise them if you wish to keep them in working order."

-John Adams

"I always consider the settlement of America with reverence and wonder, as the opening of a grand scene and design in providence, for the illumination of the ignorant and the emancipation of the slavish part of mankind all over the earth."

-John Adams

designView Quote

"Fear is the foundation of most governments."

-John Adams

"Liberty cannot be preserved without general knowledge among the people."

-John Adams

freedomView Quote

"When people talk of the freedom of writing, speaking or thinking I cannot choose but laugh. No such thing ever existed. No such thing now exists but I hope it will exist. But it must be hundreds of years after you and I shall write and speak no more."

-John Adams

freedomView Quote

"Power always thinks... that it is doing God's service when it is violating all his laws."

-John Adams

"Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."

-John Adams

governmentView Quote

"There is danger from all men. The only maxim of a free government ought to be to trust no man living with power to endanger the public liberty."

-John Adams

governmentView Quote

"The happiness of society is the end of government."

-John Adams

governmentView Quote

"A government of laws, and not of men."

-John Adams

governmentView Quote

"While all other sciences have advanced, that of government is at a standstill - little better understood, little better practiced now than three or four thousand years ago."

-John Adams

governmentView Quote

"The essence of a free government consists in an effectual control of rivalries."

-John Adams

governmentView Quote

"Abuse of words has been the great instrument of sophistry and chicanery, of party, faction, and division of society."

-John Adams

greatView Quote

"Power always thinks it has a great soul and vast views beyond the comprehension of the weak."

-John Adams

greatView Quote

"Great is the guilt of an unnecessary war."

-John Adams

greatView Quote

"The happiness of society is the end of government."

-John Adams

happinessView Quote

"When people talk of the freedom of writing, speaking or thinking I cannot choose but laugh. No such thing ever existed. No such thing now exists but I hope it will exist. But it must be hundreds of years after you and I shall write and speak no more."

-John Adams

"Here is everything which can lay hold of the eye, ear and imagination - everything which can charm and bewitch the simple and ignorant. I wonder how Luther ever broke the spell."

-John Adams

imaginationView Quote

"My country has contrived for me the most insignificant office that ever the invention of man contrived or his imagination conceived."

-John Adams

imaginationView Quote

"Let us tenderly and kindly cherish, therefore, the means of knowledge. Let us dare to read, think, speak, and write."

-John Adams

knowledgeView Quote

"Liberty cannot be preserved without general knowledge among the people."

-John Adams

knowledgeView Quote

"There is danger from all men. The only maxim of a free government ought to be to trust no man living with power to endanger the public liberty."

-John Adams

"The Hebrews have done more to civilize men than any other nation. If I were an atheist, and believed blind eternal fate, I should still believe that fate had ordained the Jews to be the most essential instrument for civilizing the nations."

-John Adams

"A government of laws, and not of men."

-John Adams

"All the perplexities, confusion and distress in America arise, not from defects in their Constitution or Confederation, not from want of honor or virtue, so much as from the downright ignorance of the nature of coin, credit and circulation."

-John Adams

natureView Quote

"In politics the middle way is none at all."

-John Adams

politicsView Quote

"I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy."

-John Adams

politicsView Quote

"I must not write a word to you about politics, because you are a woman."

-John Adams

politicsView Quote

"Power always thinks... that it is doing God's service when it is violating all his laws."

-John Adams

powerView Quote

"There is danger from all men. The only maxim of a free government ought to be to trust no man living with power to endanger the public liberty."

-John Adams

powerView Quote

"Because power corrupts, society's demands for moral authority and character increase as the importance of the position increases."

-John Adams

powerView Quote

"Power always thinks it has a great soul and vast views beyond the comprehension of the weak."

-John Adams

powerView Quote

"Liberty, according to my metaphysics is a self-determining power in an intellectual agent. It implies thought and choice and power."

-John Adams

powerView Quote

"The happiness of society is the end of government."

-John Adams

societyView Quote

"Because power corrupts, society's demands for moral authority and character increase as the importance of the position increases."

-John Adams

societyView Quote

"Abuse of words has been the great instrument of sophistry and chicanery, of party, faction, and division of society."

-John Adams

societyView Quote

"There is danger from all men. The only maxim of a free government ought to be to trust no man living with power to endanger the public liberty."

-John Adams

trustView Quote

"I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy."

-John Adams

"Great is the guilt of an unnecessary war."

-John Adams

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