Fear is the foundation of most governments.

John Adams

More information about this quote

Topic

Fear Political theory Government Politics

Author

John Adams

Source

Thoughts on Government, Applicable to the Present State of the American Colonies

Medium

Pamphlet

Genre

Political literature

Language

English

Time

1776 1770s 18th century

Era

American Revolutionary Period

Occupation

Founding Father American President National leader Politician

From

United States

Authentication Score 2

Original Citation

Adams, John. Thoughts on Government, Applicable to the Present State of the American Colonies. Philadelphia: John Dunlap, 1776.

Current Citation

Adams, John. "Thoughts on Government, Applicable to the Present State of the American Colonies, April 1776." John Adams: Revolutionary Writings 1775-1783, edited by Gordon S. Wood. Library of America, 2011.

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A quote by John Adams about fear: “Fear is the foundation of most governments.”
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A quote by John Adams about fear: “Fear is the foundation of most governments.”
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A quote by John Adams about fear: “Fear is the foundation of most governments.”
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Related Quotes

Below are one or more quotes that share at least one tag with the quote at the top of the page

Another quote by John Adams

Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.

John Adams

More information about this quote
Topic
Facts
Speaker
John Adams
Medium
Speech
Genre
Courtroom speech
Language
English
Time
1770 1770s 18th century
Authentication Score 3
Citation

Adams, John. Spoken at the argument in defense of the British soldiers in the Boston Massacre Trials. Boston Massacre Trials. 4 Dec. 1770, Queen Street courtroom, Boston, MA, USA.

Another quote from the 1770s

One lives but once in this world.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Clavigo

More information about this quote
Topic
Preciousness of life Nature of life
Speaker
Carlos

Author

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Source
Clavigo
Medium
Play
Genre
Tragedy (play) Tragedy
Language
German
Time
1774 1770s 18th century
Authentication Score 3
Citation

Goethe, Johann Wolfgang. Clavigo. Leipzig: In der Weygand'schen Buchhandlung, 1774, act 1, sc. 1.

Another quote about Political theory

Politics, as a practice, whatever its professions, had always been the systematic organization of hatreds.

Henry Adams

The Education of Henry Adams

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Read The Education of Henry Adams at Project Gutenberg
More information about this quote
Topic
Political division Nature of politics Political theory Politics

Author

Henry Adams
Source
The Education of Henry Adams
Genre
Autobiography and memoir
Language
English
Time
1907 1900s 20th century
Authentication Score 3
Original Citation

Adams, Henry. The Education of Henry Adams. 1907, ch. 1.

Current Citation

Adams, Henry. "The Education of Henry Adams." Henry Adams: Democracy, Esther, Mont Saint Michel and Chartres, The Education of Henry Adams, edited by Ernest Samuels and Jayne Samuels. Library of America, 1983, ch. 1.

Another quote from 1776

Every individual necessarily labours to render the annual revenue of the society as great as he can. He generally, indeed, neither intends to promote the public interest, nor knows how much he is promoting it... he intends only his own security... and he is in this, as in many other cases, led by an invisible hand to promote an end which was no part of his intention.

Adam Smith

The Wealth of Nations

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Read The Wealth of Nations at Project Gutenberg
More information about this quote
Topic
Invisible hand Self-interest Unintended consequences

Author

Adam Smith
Source
The Wealth of Nations
Genre
Economic literature
Language
English
Time
1776 1770s 18th century
Authentication Score 2
Original Citation

Smith, Adam. The Wealth of Nations. Vol. 2, London: W. Strahan and T. Cadell 1776, bk. 4, ch. 2.

Current Citation

Smith, Adam. The Wealth of Nations, edited by Edwin Cannan. The Modern Library, 2000, bk. 4, ch. 2.