john-adams Quotes About should

“Suppose a nation in some distant region should take the Bible for their only law book, and every member should regulate his conduct by the precepts there exhibited. What a Utopia! What a paradise this region would be.”

Should Book Would Be Law Nations Religious Members Paradise Regions Founding Utopia Founding Fathers Christian Founding Fathers Religious Christianity From Founding Fathers Christian Heritage Christian Patriotic Patriotic Religious Law Books

Book:The Portable John Adams

Source: The Portable John Adams

“Were I to define the British constitution, therefore, I should say, it is a limited monarchy, or a mixture of the three forms of government commonly known in the schools, reserving as much of the monarchical splendor, the aristocratical independency, and the democratical freedom, as are necessary that each of these powers may have a control, both in legislation and execution, over the other two, for the preservation of the subject's liberty.”

Source: The Works of John Adams, Second President of the United States: With a Life of the Author, Notes and Illustrations

“The whole people must take upon themselves the education of the whole people, and must be willing to bear the expenses of it. There should not be a district of one mile square, without a school in it, not founded by a charitable individual, but maintained at the public expense of the people themselves.”

People Should Whole School Individual Education Willing Bears Miles Expenses Squares Self Education Charitable

Book:The Works [of] John Adams, Second President of the United States: Official letters, messages, and public papers. Correspondence

Source: The Works [of] John Adams, Second President of the United States: Official letters, messages, and public papers. Correspondence

“The education here intended in not merely that of the children of the rich and noble, but of every rank and class of people, down to the lowest and the poorest. It is not too much to say that schools for the education of all should be placed at convenient distances, and maintained at the public expense.”

People Should Children School Education Class Rich Too Much Distance Noble Expenses Lowest Convenient Poorest

Book:The Works of John Adams, Second President of the United States: With a Life of the Author, Notes and Illustrations

Source: The Works of John Adams, Second President of the United States: With a Life of the Author, Notes and Illustrations

“When the Congress first met, Mr. Cushing made a motion that it should be opened with prayer . . . Mr. Samuel Adams arose and said he was no bigot, and could hear a prayer from a gentleman of piety and virtue, who was at the same time a friend to his country. He . . . had heard that Mr. Duche . . . deserved that character and therefore he moved that Mr. Duche . . . might be desired to read prayers to the Congress . . . . After (he read several prayers), Mr. Duche, unexpected to everybody, struck out into an extemporary prayer, which filled the bosom of every man present.”

Men Should Firsts Made Said Country Character Might Religion Prayer Virtue Heard Morality Mets Moved Filled Congress Every Man Gentleman Unexpected Bosoms Piety Bigots

Author:John Adams

“The dignity and stability of government in all its branches, the morals of the people, and every blessing of society depend so much upon an upright and skillful administration of justice, that the judicial power ought to be distinct from both the legislative and executive, and independent upon both, that so it may be a check upon both, as both should be checks upon that.”

“It has ever been my hobby-horse to see rising in America an empire of liberty, and a prospect of two or three hundred millions of freemen, without one noble or one king among them. You say it is impossible. If I should agree with you in this, I would still say, let us try the experiment, and preserve our equality as long as we can. A better system of education for the common people might preserve them long from such artificial inequalities as are prejudicial to society, by confounding the natural distinctions of right and wrong, virtue and vice.”

Source: Works: with a life of the author

“[J]udges, therefore, should be always men of learning and experience in the laws, of exemplary morals, great patience, calmness, coolness, and attention. Their minds should not be distracted with jarring interests; they should not be dependent upon any man, or body of men.”

Men Should Mind Character Body Law Interest Attention Moral Dependent Distracted Calmness Exemplary Coolness Great Patience

Book:The Works of John Adams, Second President of the United States: With a Life of the Author, Notes and Illustrations

Source: The Works of John Adams, Second President of the United States: With a Life of the Author, Notes and Illustrations

“A single assembly is apt to grow ambitious, and after a time will not hesitate to vote itself perpetual. This was one fault of the Long Parliament; but more remarkably of Holland, whose assembly first voted themselves from annual to septennial, then for life, and after a course of years, that all vacancies happening by death or otherwise, should be filled by themselves, without any application to constituents at all.”

Source: The Works of John Adams, Second President of the United States: With a Life of the Author, Notes and Illustrations

“I will insist the Hebrews have [contributed] more to civilize men than any other nation. If I was an atheist and believed in blind eternal fate, I should still believe that fate had ordained the Jews to be the most essential instrument for civilizing the nations. They are the most glorious nation that ever inhabited this Earth. The Romans and their empire were but a bubble in comparison to the Jews. They have given religion to three-quarters of the globe and have influenced the affairs of mankind more and more happily than any other nation, ancient or modern.”

“If my superiors shall permit me to come home, I hope it will be soon; if they mean I should stay abroad, I am not able to say what I shall do, until I know in what capacity. One thing is certain, that I will not live long without my family.”

Ifs Knows Should Mean Long Home Able Certain Family One Thing Capacity My Family Superiors Coming Home Permit

Author:John Adams

“As good government is an empire of laws, how shall your laws be made? In a large society, inhabiting an extensive country, it is impossible that the whole should assemble to make laws. The first necessary step, then, is to depute power from the many to a few of the most wise and good.”

Should Firsts Made Country Whole Government Law Steps Wise Impossible Empires Most Wise

Book:The Works of John Adams, Second President of the United States: With a Life of the Author, Notes and Illustrations

Source: The Works of John Adams, Second President of the United States: With a Life of the Author, Notes and Illustrations

“Children should be educated and instructed in the principles of freedom. Aristotle speaks plainly to this purpose, saying, 'that the institution of youth should be accommodated to that form of government under which they live; forasmuch as it makes exceedingly for the preservation of the present government, whatsoever it be.”

Should Children Government Form Purpose Speak Principles Youth Institutions Educated Preservation Forms Of Government

Book:The Works of John Adams, Second President of the United States: With a Life of the Author, Notes and Illustrations

Source: The Works of John Adams, Second President of the United States: With a Life of the Author, Notes and Illustrations

“It's of more importance to community that innocence should be protected than it is that guilt should be punished”

Should Community Importance Guilt Innocence Protected

Book:Legal Papers of John Adams

Source: Legal Papers of John Adams

“Twenty times, in the course of my late reading, have I been on the point of breaking out, 'this would be the best of all possible worlds, if there were no religion in it!' But in this exclamation, I should have been as fanatical as Bryant or Cleverly. Without religion, this world would be something not fit to be mentioned in public company-I mean hell.”

Source: John Adams: a biography in his own words

“If the Christian religion, as I understand it, or as you understand it, should maintain its ground, as I believe it will, yet Platonic, Pythagoric, Hindoo, and cabalistical Christianity, which is Catholic Christianity, and which has prevailed for 1500 years, has received a mortal wound, of which the monster must finally die. Yet so strong is his constitution, that he may endure for centuries before he expires.”

Ifs Should Years Believe May Christian Dies Belief Strong I Believe Christianity Century Constitution Catholic Endure Wounds Monsters Mortals Platonic

Author:John Adams

“We should begin by setting conscience free. When all men of all religions shall enjoy equal liberty, property, and an equal chance for honors and power we may expect that improvements will be made in the human character and the state of society.”

Source: The Works of John Adams Vol. 8: Letters and State Papers 1782 - 1799

“If we do not lay out ourselves in the service of mankind whom should we serve?”

Ifs Inspirational Should Mankind Lays Serving Healthcare Serving Others Service To Others Service To Humanity Inspirational Customer Service Inspiring Customer Service Service To Mankind Inspirational Service

Author:John Adams

“We should be unfaithful to ourselves if we should ever lose sight of the danger to our Liberties if anything partial or extraneous should infect the purity of our free, fair, virtuous, and independent elections. If an election is to be determined by a majority of a single vote, and that can be procured by a party through artifice or corruption, the Government may be the choice of a party for its own ends, not of the nation for the national good.”

Ifs Should May Ends Government Choices Nations Loses Party Liberty Danger Fairs Vote Sight Independent Election Majority Corruption Determined Purity Voting Virtuous Unfaithful Artifice

Author:John Adams

“Elections, especially of representatives and counselors, should be annual, there not being in the whole circle of the sciences a maxim more infallible than this, "where annual elections end, there slavery begins." These great men ... should be (chosen) once a year-Like bubbles on the sea of matter bourne, they rise, they break, and to the sea return. This will teach them the great political virtues of humility, patience, and moderation, without which every man in power becomes a ravenous beast of prey.”

“If the empire of superstition and hypocrisy should be overthrown, happy indeed will it be for the world; but if all religion and morality should be over-thrown with it, what advantage will be gained?”

Ifs World Should Religion Morality Advantage Hypocrisy Thrown Empires Superstitions

Author: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.”

Ifs Men Should Believe Stills Done Nations Fate Atheism Essentials Eternal Instruments Blind Atheist Jew Judaism Hebrew Hands Tied

Book:The Works of John Adams Vol. 9: Letters and State Papers 1799 - 1811

Source: The Works of John Adams Vol. 9: Letters and State Papers 1799 - 1811

“Children should be educated and instructed in the principles of freedom.”

Should Children Freedom Liberty Principles Democracy Educated Patriotic Founding Freedom And Liberty Freedom Of Thought Freedom Liberty Our Founding Fathers Public Education American Liberty Revolution Founding Fathers American Freedom Education And Freedom

Book:The Works of John Adams, Second President of the United States: With a Life of the Author, Notes and Illustrations

Source: The Works of John Adams, Second President of the United States: With a Life of the Author, Notes and Illustrations

“You will think me transported with Enthusiasm but I am not. — I am well aware of the Toil and Blood and Treasure, that it will cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States. — Yet through all the Gloom I can see the Rays of ravishing Light and Glory. I can see that the End is more than worth all the Means. And that Posterity will tryumph in that Days Transaction, even altho We should rue it, which I trust in God We shall not.”

Source: The Works of John Adams Vol. 1: Life of John Adams

“Everything in life should be done with reflection.”

Should Done Reflection

Author:John Adams

“It should be your care, therefore, and mine, to elevate the minds of our children and exalt their courage; to accelerate and animate their industry and activity; to excite in them an habitual contempt of meanness, abhorrence of injustice and inhumanity, and an ambition to excel in every capacity, faculty, and virtue. If we suffer their minds to grovel and creep in infancy, they will grovel all their lives.”

Source: The Letters of John and Abigail Adams

“Let justice be done though the heavens should fall.”

Should Done Fall Heaven Justice Revolution Bad Ass American Revolution Law And Justice

Book:Papers of John Adams

Source: Papers of John Adams

John Adams Quotes

Filter quotes by topic

Famous John Adams Quotes