A republic, if you can keep it. — Benjamin Franklin

← Back to quotes

Speech

A republic, if you can keep it.

Benjamin Franklin

1787

★ 5.5

Other tags relating to this quote

Topic

Fragility of democracy American experiment

Medium

Speech

Time

1787

Person

Benjamin Franklin

Provenance

Current citation

Franklin, Benjamin. Quoted in "'A Republic if you can keep it': Elizabeth Willing Powwel, Benjamin Franklin, and the James McHenry Journal. Library of Congress. Posted 6 Jan. 2022, blogs.loc.gov/manuscripts.

Original citation

Franklin, Benjamin. Response to a question by Mrs. Powel. Constitutional Convention. 18 Sept. 1787, Independence Hall, Philadelphia, PA, USA.

Related quotes

Other quotes that share a subject, a time, or a voice with this one.

Our new Constitution is now established, and has an appearance that promises permanency, but in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes!

Benjamin Franklin

Letters of Benjamin Franklin · 1789

Another quote aboutTopic·Fragility of democracy

We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry, would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.

John Adams

1798

Another quote aboutTopic·American experiment

Remember that Time is Money.

Benjamin Franklin

The American Instructor: or Young Man's Best Companion · 1748

Another quote byPerson·Benjamin Franklin

Rebellion to Tyrants is obedience to God.

Benjamin Franklin

1775

Another quote byPerson·Benjamin Franklin