Quote
By Thomas Jefferson
The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.
- Source
- Letter to William Stephens Smith, November 13, 1787 · The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, vol. 12
- Read at
- Founders Online, National Archives
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About this quote
From a letter Jefferson wrote from Paris to William Stephens Smith about Shays' Rebellion in Massachusetts. The letter continues beyond this sentence.