quote · Legacy record
Since the general civilization of mankind I believe there are more instances of the abridgement of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations.
Since the general civilization of mankind I believe there are more instances of the abridgement of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations.
Approximate author period: c. 1793 AD · early modern
Meaning not yet available
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- Author or tradition
- James Madison
Attribution: attributed - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Approximate author period: c. 1793 AD · early modern
Approximate author-period anchor from life dates 1751 to 1836; Wikidata Q11813, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11813 (accessed 2026-10-08). Not a quotation composition date.
An author lifetime, approximate period or collection date is not necessarily the date when these words were first written or spoken. - Recorded source
- Contributor-provided quotation collection
Supplied reference C; CSV row 399405; supplied attribution, independently unverified
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.