Who said “Timid men prefer the calm of despotism to the tempestuous sea of liberty.”?

Verified

Thomas Jefferson. A published source records them saying or writing it.

SourceLetter to his Italian friend, Philip Mazzei (1796)

Evidence: Wikiquote · How we check

Source checked · Something wrong? Report a correction

Authors A–Z

Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: Letter to his Italian friend, Philip Mazzei (1796).

APA

Jefferson, T. (n.d.). Timid men prefer the calm of despotism to the tempestuous sea of liberty. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/26473-timid-men-prefer-the-calm-of-despotism-to/

MLA

Jefferson, Thomas. “Timid men prefer the calm of despotism to the tempestuous sea of liberty.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/26473-timid-men-prefer-the-calm-of-despotism-to/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Jefferson, Thomas. “Timid men prefer the calm of despotism to the tempestuous sea of liberty.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/26473-timid-men-prefer-the-calm-of-despotism-to/.

Related quotes

More quotes by Thomas Jefferson

“The God who gave us life, gave us liberty at the same time.”
VerifiedSummary View of the Rights of British America (1774); The Writings of Thomas Jefferson (19 Vols., 1905) edited by Andrew A. Lipscomb and Albert Ellery Bergh, Vol. 1, p. 211 · evidenceDetails & citeLiberty
All 116 Thomas Jefferson quotes →