Quote by Frederick Douglass: “The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress.”

This means that the extent of a dictator's power is ultimately determined by how long and how much the oppressed people are willing to tolerate. Resistance, or lack thereof, sets the boundaries for tyranny.

In the context of the American struggle against slavery, this quote emphasized that the institution's longevity depended on the continued subjugation and silence of the enslaved, calling for a breaking of that endurance.

American social reformer, abolitionist, orator, writer, and statesman. He became a national leader of the abolitionist movement in Massachusetts and New York after escaping slavery. His autobiographies are considered classics of American literature.