“There is something very unnatural and odious in a government a thousand leagues off.”
John Adams (1735–1826) 2nd President of the United States
Letter to Abigail Adams (17 May 1776)
1770s
Context: There is something very unnatural and odious in a government a thousand leagues off. A whole government of our own choice, managed by persons whom we love, revere, and can confide in, has charms in it for which men will fight.