Who said “Arbitrary power is like most other things which are very hard, very liable to be broken.”?

Verified

Abigail Adams. A published source records them saying or writing it.

SourceLetter from Abigail to John Adams, Braintree, May, 7, 1776.

Evidence: Wikiquote · How we check

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“Arbitrary power is like most other things which are very hard, very liable to be broken.”
— Abigail Adams
VerifiedLetter from Abigail to John Adams, Braintree, May, 7, 1776. · evidencePower
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Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: Letter from Abigail to John Adams, Braintree, May, 7, 1776..

APA

Adams, A. (n.d.). Arbitrary power is like most other things which are very hard, very liable to be broken. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/1006-arbitrary-power-is-like-most-other-things-which/

MLA

Adams, Abigail. “Arbitrary power is like most other things which are very hard, very liable to be broken.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/1006-arbitrary-power-is-like-most-other-things-which/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Adams, Abigail. “Arbitrary power is like most other things which are very hard, very liable to be broken.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/1006-arbitrary-power-is-like-most-other-things-which/.

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