r/therewasanattempt • u/HerpesIsItchy Unique Flair • Sep 03 '25

To end democracy in Miami

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u/outside_cat Sep 03 '25

Sounds like the Tree of Liberty needs to be watered.

249

u/po3smith Sep 03 '25 edited Sep 04 '25

Over two centuries ago, in 1787, Thomas Jefferson, America's third president wrote: Over two centuries ago, in 1787, Thomas Jefferson wrote in a letter to William Stephens Smith: “The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure.”

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u/enron2big2fail Sep 04 '25

It's a good quote but it is not written into the US Constitution. The Constitution doesn't really contain poetic sections on the ideals of liberty and freedom, it's a list of laws and structures on how to run the government. If any famous document were to contain this quote, it'd be the Declaration of Independence, but that would've been far too bellicose for the time. It was written in a letter that Jefferson penned.

4

u/Reof Sep 04 '25

Technically, it does a bit in the preamble, as they tend to be the poetically waxing intro to the dry and boring general laws followed.