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Who really said it

I never expect to see a perfect work from imperfect man

Written by Alexander Hamilton 1755 or 1757–1804
Verified Free to reuse

Alexander Hamilton wrote this in The Federalist, No. 85. He was defending acceptance of the proposed Constitution as a workable compromise, rather than waiting for a perfect document.

Last verified 9 Nov 2026 · how we verify · spot an error?

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“I never expect to see a perfect work from imperfect man” — Alexander Hamilton

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Evoking the world of Alexander Hamilton — Statesman and constitutional writer. Theme: "I never expect to see a perfect work from imperfect man". Atmospheric and restrained, cinematic directional light, a muted period-appropriate palette, fine grain and texture. Compose with generous empty space for the quote and a small credit line. No lettering in the image itself.

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Provenance

The source

Work
The Federalist, No. 85
Author
Alexander Hamilton, writing as Publius
Publication
1788

I never expect to see a perfect work from imperfect man.

Yale Avalon: Federalist No. 85

How we verified this

Public domain

The English essay was published in 1788 and is public domain.

Rights status is our research, not legal advice — and copyright varies by country and edition. For commercial or published use, confirm with the rightsholder. See terms.

Context

Why it mattered

Hamilton was answering demands to delay ratification until a perfect constitutional plan could be assembled. The surrounding essay ↗ argues that any agreement among thirteen states must combine different interests and human errors, and that amendments need not prevent initial acceptance.

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More provenance-checked quotes on the same theme, each with its reuse status.

Humility Wisdom

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Yale Avalon: Federalist No. 85avalon.law.yale.edu

Transcribes the exact sentence and Hamilton's argument for ratification despite imperfections.
Project Gutenberg: The Federalist Paperswww.gutenberg.org

Full text includes the sentence in Federalist No. 85, attributed to Hamilton.
Wikisource: Federalist 85en.wikisource.org

Independent transcription of the essay includes the exact sentence.
Wikiquote: Hamilton's sourced argumenten.wikiquote.org

Quotes the passage under Federalist No. 85.

The author

About Alexander Hamilton

Alexander Hamilton

1755 or 1757–1804 · Statesman and constitutional writer

Alexander Hamilton helped make the case for ratifying the United States Constitution. He wrote many of the essays published under the shared name Publius and later became the first secretary of the Treasury.

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Cite this

The primary source (Chicago)

Hamilton, Alexander [Publius]. The Federalist, No. 85, 1788. Text checked in Yale Law School's Avalon Project and Project Gutenberg.

This verification page

Quotle.info. “Who really said ‘I never expect to see a perfect work from imperfect man’?” Last verified 9 Nov 2026. https://quotle.info/who-said/i-never-expect-to-see-a-perfect-work-from-imperfect-man/

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