---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But Connecticut and Rhode Island have…"
description: "\"But Connecticut and Rhode Island have originally realized the most perfect polity as to a legislature.\" — Ezra Stiles"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/445/ezra-stiles-23013_connecticut_but-connecticut-and-rhode-island-have-or_440988.jpg"
---

#  But Connecticut and Rhode Island have originally realized…

![“But Connecticut and Rhode Island have originally realized the most perfect polity as to a legislature.” quote by Ezra Stiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/445/ezra-stiles-23013_connecticut_but-connecticut-and-rhode-island-have-or_440988.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/445/ezra-stiles-23013_connecticut_but-connecticut-and-rhode-island-have-or_440988.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/445/ezra-stiles-23013_connecticut_but-connecticut-and-rhode-island-have-or_440988.jpg)

> “But Connecticut and Rhode Island have originally realized the most perfect polity as to a legislature.”

[Ezra Stiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-stiles/)

## About This Quote

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

Connecticut and Rhode Island historically envisioned an ideal government centered on legislative power, reflecting early American republican ideals.

**In simple terms:** Early states valued legislative rule.

Key Takeaway

Study historical governance models.

Themes

republicanism legislative focus historical politics state formation

Mood

historical educational

Type

political philosophical

When to use this quote

- civic education
- policy analysis
- historical research
- constitutional design

Key Concepts

early American thought political theory

Questions to Reflect On

- What lessons can modern legislatures learn from these early visions?
- How did geography influence their political structures?

A Different Perspective

Modern systems differ from early ideals.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Connecticut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/connecticut/) [Connecticut Rhode](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/connecticut-rhode-3867604/) [Islands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/islands/) [Legislature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/legislature/) [Perfect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfect/) [Perfect Polity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfect-polity-3867603/) [Polity Legislature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/polity-legislature-3867605/) [Rhode island](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rhode-island/)

## Related quotes

> [I'm from Connecticut, and we don't have any dialects. Well, I don't think we have any dialects, and yeah, it's very complex. That Rhode…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-macfarlane/i-m-from-connecticut-and-we-don-t-have-any-dialects-well-i-don-t/)

[Seth MacFarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-macfarlane/)

> [“French Polynesia embraces a vast ocean area strewn with faraway outer islands, each with a mystique of its own. The 118 islands and atolls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-stanley/french-polynesia-embraces-a-vast-ocean-area-strewn-with-faraway-outer/)

[David Stanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-stanley/)

> [I'm very committed to its educational institutions, including my alma mater Central Falls High School's drama program, because I know that's what got me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/i-m-very-committed-to-its-educational-institutions-including-my-alma/)

[Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/)

> [I’m a black woman who is from Central Falls, Rhode Island. I’m dark skinned. I’m quirky. I’m shy. I’m strong. I’m guarded. I’m weak…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/i-m-a-black-woman-who-is-from-central-falls-rhode-island-i-m-dark/)

[Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/)

> [“...Were you in the military?" "Are you kidding me? I was in high school." "High school," he said quietly. "You’re American. And a civilian?"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-fine/were-you-in-the-military-are-you-kidding-me-i-was-in-high-school-high/)

[Sarah Fine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-fine/)

> [“The terribly tragic outcome of Halsted’s experiments with cocaine was his own addiction. The doctor began injecting cocaine directly into his veins for its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-kang/the-terribly-tragic-outcome-of-halsted-s-experiments-with-cocaine-was/)

[Lydia Kang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-kang/)

> [“I mean, imagine for a second Olivero Barretto, some nice Italian kid from down the block in Cranston, Rhode Island. He comes to see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-segal/i-mean-imagine-for-a-second-olivero-barretto-some-nice-italian-kid/)

[Erich Segal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-segal/)

> [We moved around a bit when I was younger, but I grew up primarily in Rhode Island, in a beautiful seaside community called East…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-gagnon/we-moved-around-a-bit-when-i-was-younger-but-i-grew-up-primarily-in/)

[Michelle Gagnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-gagnon/)

> [“Nelson W. Aldrich of Rhode Island. Aldrich, a multimillionaire, a card-playing partner of J. Pierpont Morgan, the father-in-law of John D. Rockefeller, Jr., and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-hochschild/nelson-w-aldrich-of-rhode-island-aldrich-a-multimillionaire-a-card/)

[Adam Hochschild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-hochschild/)

> [After graduate school, I joined Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island as an assistant professor, but I continued to program in addition to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mason/after-graduate-school-i-joined-johnson-wales-university-in-rhode/)

[Hilary Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mason/)

> [“Wyoming got an Algonquian name from Pennsylvania meaning “large prairie,” but the adoption came only after a long fight. Decades before the settling of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/wyoming-got-an-algonquian-name-from-pennsylvania-meaning-large/)

[Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/)

> [I was bullied at school. The black girl in Central Falls, Rhode Island, in 1973. There'd be 8 or 10 boys; I would count…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/i-was-bullied-at-school-the-black-girl-in-central-falls-rhode-island/)

[Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/)

> [“The town was Newport, Rhode Island, U.S.A., Earth, Solar System, Milky Way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/the-town-was-newport-rhode-island-u-s-a-earth-solar-system-milky-way/)

[Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/)

> [I swam with my first shark in the 1980s. I was 20 miles off the coast of Rhode Island, working with a group of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-skerry/i-swam-with-my-first-shark-in-the-1980s-i-was-20-miles-off-the-coast/)

[Brian Skerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-skerry/)

> [I grew up in this tiny town in Rhode Island, and we didn't have cable. We had three TV stations, and one of them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arden-myrin/i-grew-up-in-this-tiny-town-in-rhode-island-and-we-didn-t-have-cable/)

[Arden Myrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arden-myrin/)

## More by Ezra Stiles

> [We stand a better chance with aristocracy, whether hereditary or elective, than with monarchy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-stiles/we-stand-a-better-chance-with-aristocracy-whether-hereditary-or/)

[Ezra Stiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-stiles/)

> [There are reasons for believing that the English increase will far surpass others, and that the diffusion of the United States will ultimately produce…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-stiles/there-are-reasons-for-believing-that-the-english-increase-will-far/)

[Ezra Stiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-stiles/)

> [It gives me pleasure to find that public liberty is effectually secured in each and all the policies of the United States, though somewhat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-stiles/it-gives-me-pleasure-to-find-that-public-liberty-is-effectually/)

[Ezra Stiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-stiles/)

> [Our trade opens to all the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-stiles/our-trade-opens-to-all-the-world/)

[Ezra Stiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-stiles/)

> [Speech at the Ministerial Conference in Boston (at books.google.com/books?id=LXkYAAAAYAAJ&dq=theodore%20parker%20boston%20kidnapping%20gannett&lr=&pg=PA167&ci=70,748,854,407&source=bookclip#v=onepage&q&f=false)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-stiles/speech-at-the-ministerial-conference-in-boston-at-books-google-com/)

[Ezra Stiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-stiles/)

> [In justice to human society it may perhaps be said of almost all the polities and civil institutions in the world, however imperfect, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-stiles/in-justice-to-human-society-it-may-perhaps-be-said-of-almost-all-the/)

[Ezra Stiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-stiles/)

> [The British merchants represented that they received some profit indeed from Virginia and South Carolina, as well as the West Indies; but as for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-stiles/the-british-merchants-represented-that-they-received-some-profit/)

[Ezra Stiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-stiles/)

> [With the people, especially a people seized of property, resides the aggregate of original power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-stiles/with-the-people-especially-a-people-seized-of-property-resides-the/)

[Ezra Stiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-stiles/)

> [The United States are under peculiar obligations to become a holy people unto the Lord our God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-stiles/the-united-states-are-under-peculiar-obligations-to-become-a-holy/)

[Ezra Stiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-stiles/)

> [The constitutions of Maryland and New York are founded in higher wisdom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-stiles/the-constitutions-of-maryland-and-new-york-are-founded-in-higher/)

[Ezra Stiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-stiles/)

> [But a multitude of people, even the two hundred million of the Chinese empire, cannot subsist without civil government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-stiles/but-a-multitude-of-people-even-the-two-hundred-million-of-the-chinese/)

[Ezra Stiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-stiles/)

> [It should seem, then, that the nature of society dictates another, a higher branch, whose superiority arises from its being the interested and natural…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-stiles/it-should-seem-then-that-the-nature-of-society-dictates-another-a/)

[Ezra Stiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-stiles/)

> [A few scattered accounts, collected and combined together, may lead us to two certain conclusions: 1. That all the American Indians are one kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-stiles/a-few-scattered-accounts-collected-and-combined-together-may-lead-us/)

[Ezra Stiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-stiles/)

> [The Lord shall have made his American Israel high above all nations which he hath made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-stiles/the-lord-shall-have-made-his-american-israel-high-above-all-nations/)

[Ezra Stiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-stiles/)

> [Besides a happy policy as to civil government, it is necessary to institute a system of law and jurisprudence founded in justice, equity, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-stiles/besides-a-happy-policy-as-to-civil-government-it-is-necessary-to/)

[Ezra Stiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-stiles/)

[Explore all 26 Ezra Stiles quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-stiles/)

## More Connecticut quotes

> [What we do in Connecticut is ban assault weapons. We ban high-capacity magazines. We have true universal background checks, and we require everybody to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-murphy/what-we-do-in-connecticut-is-ban-assault-weapons-we-ban-high-capacity/)

[Chris Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-murphy/)

> [Who has connections to Connecticut? That's where rich people go to live the rest of their life in the woods.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrice-o-neal/who-has-connections-to-connecticut-that-s-where-rich-people-go-to/)

[Patrice O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrice-o-neal/)

> [I did a radio interview for a station in Connecticut or something, and it was the worst interview ever. It was all yes and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/macaulay-culkin/i-did-a-radio-interview-for-a-station-in-connecticut-or-something-and/)

[Macaulay Culkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/macaulay-culkin/)

> [My family moved a lot as a kid. We started in Colorado, where I lived for five years. We moved to Chicago for two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-van-sant/my-family-moved-a-lot-as-a-kid-we-started-in-colorado-where-i-lived/)

[Gus Van Sant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-van-sant/)

> [I haven't seen a professional player come out of New York in over 20 years since my brother Patrick came out. Blake spent a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mcenroe/i-haven-t-seen-a-professional-player-come-out-of-new-york-in-over-20/)

[John McEnroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mcenroe/)

> [I'm going to continue to talk about what is important to the people of Connecticut which is jobs, getting people back to work, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-mcmahon/i-m-going-to-continue-to-talk-about-what-is-important-to-the-people/)

[Linda McMahon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-mcmahon/)

> [I don't think the folks in the low-tax states really want to go into a fairness discussion. Residents of Connecticut and New York would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-collins/i-don-t-think-the-folks-in-the-low-tax-states-really-want-to-go-into/)

[Gail Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-collins/)

> [We'll continue to make doing business easier in Connecticut.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ned-lamont/we-ll-continue-to-make-doing-business-easier-in-connecticut/)

[Ned Lamont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ned-lamont/)

> [There was a law in Connecticut - I believe it is still formally unrepealed - making it illegal for a man to kiss his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/there-was-a-law-in-connecticut-i-believe-it-is-still-formally/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [Everywhere outside New York City is Bridgeport, Connecticut.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-allen/everywhere-outside-new-york-city-is-bridgeport-connecticut/)

[Fred Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-allen/)

> [Connecticut is home for life. I'm so glad I chose to go to school here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kemba-walker/connecticut-is-home-for-life-i-m-so-glad-i-chose-to-go-to-school-here/)

[Kemba Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kemba-walker/)

> [I spent my summers in Connecticut scooping ice cream and babysitting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-gummer/i-spent-my-summers-in-connecticut-scooping-ice-cream-and-babysitting/)

[Grace Gummer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-gummer/)

> [I do not know how the affair at Canterbury is generally considered; but I have heard individuals of all parties and all opinions speak…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-m-child/i-do-not-know-how-the-affair-at-canterbury-is-generally-considered/)

[Lydia M. Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-m-child/)

> [My house in Connecticut is very quiet, and when I'm trying to concentrate, I don't even allow the cat inside my second-floor study.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-mallon/my-house-in-connecticut-is-very-quiet-and-when-i-m-trying-to/)

[Thomas Mallon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-mallon/)

> [Connecticut has always taken pride in our leadership role when it comes to climate, and when we can combine that with a stronger economy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ned-lamont/connecticut-has-always-taken-pride-in-our-leadership-role-when-it/)

[Ned Lamont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ned-lamont/)

[Browse all 144 Connecticut quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/connecticut/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "But Connecticut and Rhode Island have originally realized the most perfect polity as to a legislature.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Ezra Stiles"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-stiles/but-connecticut-and-rhode-island-have-originally-realized-the-most/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Connecticut"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-stiles/but-connecticut-and-rhode-island-have-originally-realized-the-most/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/445/ezra-stiles-23013_connecticut_but-connecticut-and-rhode-island-have-or_440988.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/445/ezra-stiles-23013_connecticut_but-connecticut-and-rhode-island-have-or_440988.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/445/ezra-stiles-23013_connecticut_but-connecticut-and-rhode-island-have-or_440988.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“But Connecticut and Rhode Island have originally realized the most perfect polity as to a legislature.” — Ezra Stiles",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Ezra Stiles",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-stiles/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "But Connecticut and Rhode Island have...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-stiles/but-connecticut-and-rhode-island-have-originally-realized-the-most/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-stiles/but-connecticut-and-rhode-island-have-originally-realized-the-most/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```