---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In New England they once thought…"
description: "\"In New England they once thought blackbirds useless, and mischievous to the corn. They made efforts to destroy them. The consequence was, the blackbird..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d3/benjamin-franklin-65_blackbirds_in-new-england-they-once-thought-blackbi_2347403.jpg"
---

#  In New England they once thought blackbirds useless, and…

![“In New England they once thought blackbirds useless, and mischievous to the corn. They made efforts to destroy them. The consequence was, the blackbirds were diminished; but a kind of worm, which devoured their grass, and which the blackbirds used to feed on, increased prodigiously; then, finding…” quote by Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d3/benjamin-franklin-65_blackbirds_in-new-england-they-once-thought-blackbi_2347403.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d3/benjamin-franklin-65_blackbirds_in-new-england-they-once-thought-blackbi_2347403.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d3/benjamin-franklin-65_blackbirds_in-new-england-they-once-thought-blackbi_2347403.jpg)

> “In New England they once thought blackbirds useless, and mischievous to the corn. They made efforts to destroy them. The consequence was, the blackbirds were diminished; but a kind of worm, which devoured their grass, and which the blackbirds used to feed on, increased prodigiously; then, finding their loss in grass much greater than their saving in corn, they wished again for their blackbirds.”

[Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Attempting to eradicate a species can cause ecological imbalance, leading to unintended negative consequences.

**In simple terms:** Removing one species can harm the ecosystem.

Key Takeaway

Consider ecological impacts before intervening.

Themes

environment ecology interdependence human impact conservation

Mood

cautionary thought‑provoking

Type

environmental ethical

When to use this quote

- agricultural policy
- pest control
- environmental legislation
- habitat management

Key Concepts

ecosystem dynamics unintended consequences species balance

Questions to Reflect On

- What are modern parallels to this mistake?
- How can we better predict ecological outcomes?

A Different Perspective

Short‑term gains may overlook long‑term costs.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Blackbirds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blackbirds/) [Blackbirds Diminished](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blackbirds-diminished-5702962/) [Blackbirds Used](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blackbirds-used-5702961/) [Consequence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consequence/) [Consequence Blackbirds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consequence-blackbirds-5702960/) [Corn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corn/) [Ecology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ecology/) [Effort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effort/) [England](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/england/) [Findings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/findings/) [Grass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grass/) [Grass Blackbirds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grass-blackbirds-5702963/) [Greater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greater/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Loss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loss/) [Made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made/) [Mischievous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mischievous/) [New england](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-england/) [Saving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saving/) [Thought Blackbirds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought-blackbirds-5702959/) [Used](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/used/) [Useless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/useless/) [Worms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/worms/)

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## More by Benjamin Franklin

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> [We are nature. We are nature seeing nature. The red-winged blackbird flies in us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-griffin/we-are-nature-we-are-nature-seeing-nature-the-red-winged-blackbird/)

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