The limits of tyrants are set by the endurance of the oppressed.

What it means

Injustice goes as far as people will quietly put up with. Douglass says it continues until it meets resistance, in words or deeds. Know where your line is.

The source

"The limits of tyrants are set by the endurance of the oppressed." Frederick Douglass said it in West India Emancipation speech, Canandaigua, New York, 3 August 1857. Written in English: West India Emancipation, 1857.

"The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress."

Original English (West India Emancipation, 1857), West India Emancipation speech, Canandaigua, New York, 3 August 1857. Text read at en.wikisource.org.

Who said it

Frederick Douglass (c. 1818–1895). Learned to read in secret, escaped slavery and became the leading abolitionist voice of his age. He wrote the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass (1845).

Questions

What does "The limits of tyrants are set by the endurance of the oppressed." mean?

Injustice goes as far as people will quietly put up with. Douglass says it continues until it meets resistance, in words or deeds. Know where your line is.

Who said "The limits of tyrants are set by the endurance of the oppressed."?

Frederick Douglass (c. 1818–1895). Source: West India Emancipation speech, Canandaigua, New York, 3 August 1857.

What is the original wording?

The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress (Original English (West India Emancipation, 1857)). Written in English: West India Emancipation, 1857.

Is "The limits of tyrants are set by the endurance of the oppressed." on a shirt?

Yes. We print it to order on our tees in 7 illustrated looks, from $44, with free US shipping.

"The limits of tyrants are set by the endurance of the oppressed." (Frederick Douglass, West India Emancipation speech, Canandaigua, New York, 3 August 1857, trans. Original English (West India Emancipation, 1857)). https://spartansurfers.com/quotes/the-limits-of-tyrants-are-set-by-the