Vol. 06 · Misquoted ·Speech ·307 of 348
"To the victor go the spoils."
They never said that.
What people say
"To the victor go the spoils."
What was actually said
"To the victor belong the spoils of the enemy." William L. Marcy — U.S. Senate, 25 January 1832
Why it stuck
Marcy was defending the spoils system on the Senate floor, 1832. The short form blurs the judgement.
Know another line by heart?
Play the duel and see how many you can spot. Or browse the whole shelf.