Q
Quincy, Josiah
“Blandishments will not fascinate us, nor will threats of a ‘halter’ intimidate. For, under God, we are determined that wheresoever, whensoever, or howsoever we shall be called to make our exit, we will die free men.” – Josiah Quincy, Observations of the Boston Port
R
Reagan, Nancy
“Just say no!” – Nancy Reagan, response to schoolchildren when asked what to do if offered drugs, 1984; became the motto for her anti-drug campaign
Reagan, Ronald
“We will always be prepared so we may be always free.” – Ronald Reagan, State of the Union Address, Jan 16, 1984
“…Freedom leads to prosperity. Freedom replaces the ancient hatreds among the nations with comity and peace. Freedom is the victor. …Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall! …” – Ronald Reagan, at Brandenburg Gate, West Berlin , Jun 12, 1987
Reed, Joseph
“Please to affix upon some particular Colour for a flag–& a Signal, by which our Vessels may know one another.” – Joseph Reed, letter to naval contractors, Oct 20, 1775
Remond, Charles Lenox
“Where is the man, who, if asked to become a slave, would not hurl back the offer indignantly in the teeth of the oppressor?” – Charles Lenox Remond, The Liberator, Nov 19, 1841
Revere, Paul
“The British are coming! The British are coming!” – Paul Revere
“I’m not goin’ anywhere. Just fix me up.” – Ruben Rivers, after being severely wounded in WW II, 1944
Robinson, Jackie
“…I fought because I knew it was not doomed to be a losing fight.” – Jackie Robinson, “Free Minds and Hearts at Work” in Edward R. Murrow’s This I Believe, 1952
Rodgers, John
“BY LAND, OR BY SEA…” – RODGER’S BATTLE
Roosevelt, Eleanor
“…You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” – Eleanor Roosevelt, You Can Learn By Living, 1960
Roosevelt, Franklin D.
“The truth is found when men are free to pursue it.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt
“the only thing we have to fear is fear itself…” – Franklin D. Roosevelt, First Inaugural Address, Mar. 4, 1933
“We look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms. The first is freedom of speech and expression – everywhere in the world. The second is freedom of every person to worship God in his own way – everywhere in the world. The third is freedom from want…everywhere in the world. The fourth is freedom from fear…anywhere in the world.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt , Message to Congress, Jan 6, 1941
“…We, and all others who believe in freedom as deeply as we do, would rather die on our feet than live on our knees.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt, On receiving the degree of Doctor of Civil Law from Oxford University Jun 19, 1941
Roosevelt, Theodore
“I will deliver this speech or die.” – Theodore Roosevelt, after being shot during a campaign speech, 1912
Root, George Frederick
“…And beneath the starry flag We shall breathe the air again Of the free land in our own beloved home.” – George Frederick Root, ‘Tramp, Tramp, Tramp, the Boys Are Marching,’ 1862
George Frederick Root’s “The Battle Cry of Freedom,’ 1862
Rush, Benjamin
“Controversy is only dreaded by the advocates of error.” – Benjamin Rush, quoted in Noyes, Views of Religion
“There is nothing more common than to confound the terms of the American Revolution with those of the late American war. The American war is over but this is far from being the case with the American Revolution. On the contrary, nothing but the first act of the great drama is closed.” – Benjamin Rush, address, “To the People of the United States
Russworm, John (See Samuel Cornish)
S
Seeger, Pete (See Zilphia Horton)
Sheen, Fulton J.
“Democracy cannot survive where there is such uniformity that everyone wears exactly the same intellectual uniform or point of view. Democracy implies diversity of outlook, a variety of points of views on politics, economics, and world affairs. Hence the educational ideal is not uniformity but unity, for unity allows diversity of points of view regarding the good means to a good end.” – Fulton
Sherman, Sidney
“Remember the Alamo !” – Sidney Sherman, Battle cry, San Jacinto , Apr 21, 1836
Sherman, William Tecumseh
“Hold out. Relief is coming.” – William Tecumseh Sherman, flag signal from Kennesaw Mountain to General John Murray Corse at Allatoona Pass Oct 5, 1864
Smith, Alfred E.
“All the ills of democracy can be cured by more democracy.” – Alfred E. Smith, Speech, Albany, New York, Jun 27, 1933, in New York Times, Jun 28, 1933
Smith, Elizabeth Oakes
“Faith is the subtle chain which binds us to the infinite.” – Elizabeth Oakes Smith
Smith, Samuel F.
“My country ‘tis of thee, Sweet land of liberty, Of thee I sing; Land where my fathers died; Land of the pilgrim’s pride; From ev’ry mountain side Let freedom ring. My native country, thee, Land of the noble free, Thy name I love; I love thy rocks and rills, Thy woods and templed hills; My heart with rapture thrills, Like that above. Let music swell the breeze, And ring from all the trees Sweet freedom’s song; Let mortal tongues awake, Let mortal tongues awake, Let all that breathe partake; Let rocks their silence break, The sound prolong. Our fathers’ God! To Thee, Author of liberty, To Thee we sing; Long may our land be bright With freedom’s holy light; Protect us by Thy might, Great God, our King.” – Samuel F. Smith, ‘America
Sousa, John Philip
“The Stars and Stripes Forever” – John Philip Sousa, 1897 march
Stanton, Elizabeth Cady (See also Declaration of Sentiments, written by Stanton and others)
“…truth is the only safe ground to stand upon.” – Elizabeth Cady Stanton
“Our ‘pathway’ is straight to the ballot box, with no variableness nor shadow of turning. …” – Elizabeth Cady Stanton Jan 13, 1868
Stark, John
“…Tonight, the American flag floats from yonder hill or Molly Stark sleeps a widow!” – John Stark, Before the battle of Bennington Aug 16, 1777
“Live Free or Die.” – John Stark, toast for reunion of soldiers from the Battle of Bennington
Stevenson, Adlai
“My definition of a free society is a society where it is safe to be unpopular.” – Adlai Stevenson
Stowe, Harriet Beecher
“When you get into a tight place and it seems you can’t go on, hold on, for that’s just the place and the time that the tide will turn.” – Harriet Beecher Stowe
Sumner, Charles
“Where Slavery is, there Liberty cannot be; and where Liberty Nov 5, 1864
T
Thoreau, Henry David
“I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life by a conscious endeavor.” – Henry David Thoreau, Walden, 1854, 2, Where I Lived, and What I Lived For
“Only that day dawns to which we are awake. There is more day to dawn. The sun is but a morning star.” – Henry David Thoreau, Walden, 1854, 18, Conclusion
Truth, Sojourner
“I feel safe even in the midst of my enemies; for truth is powerful and will prevail.” – Sojourner Truth, Narrative and Book of Life, 1881
Tubman, Harriet
“When I found I had crossed that line, I looked at my hands to see if I was the same person. There was such a glory over every thing; the sun came like gold through the trees, and over the fields, and I felt like I was in Heaven.” – Harriet Tubman, To her biographer Sarah H. Bradford, c. 1868
U
Upham, James B. (See The Pledge of Allegiance)
V
Van Dyke, Henry
“Oh, it’s home again, and home again, America Land of Room Enough America
W
Walker, Walton
“…stand or die.” – Walton Walker, imperative to U.S.
Warren, Earl
“When an individual is taken into custody or otherwise deprived of his freedom by the authorities and is subjected to questioning…he must be warned prior to any questioning that he has the right to remain silent, that anything he says can be used against him in a court of law, that he has the right to the presence of an attorney, and that if he cannot afford an attorney one will be appointed for him prior to any questioning if he so desires.” – Earl Warren, Miranda v. Arizona
Warren, Joseph
“Preserve, preserve, preserve your rights in Free America.” – Joseph Warren, “Free America
Washington, Booker T.
“…There is no escape–man drags man down, or man lifts man up. …You can’t hold a man down without staying down with him.” – Booker T. Washington, The American Standard, 1896
Washington, George
“Liberty
“Let us therefore animate and encourage each other, and show the whole world that a Freeman, contending for liberty on his own ground, is superior to any slavish mercenary on earth.” – George Washington, General Orders, Headquarters, New York Jul 2, 1776
“The preservation of the sacred fire of Liberty Apr 30, 1789
“The basis of our political systems is the right of the people to make and to alter their constitutions of government. But the constitution which at any time exists, till changed by an explicit and authentic act of the whole people, is sacredly obligatory upon all.” – George Washington, Farewell Address, “To the People of the United States Sep 17, 1796
Washington, Martha
“We must endeavor to let our ways be the way of pleasantness and all our paths Peace.” – Martha Washington, letter to Annis Stockton Boudinot, Jan 15, 1794
Webster, Daniel
“One country, one constitution, one destiny.” – Daniel Webster, Speech, Mar 15, 1837
Whiting, William
William Whiting’s “The Navy Hymn (Eternal Father),” 1860
Whitman, Walt
“Afoot and light-hearted I take to the open road, Healthy, free, the world before me, The long brown path before me leading, wherever I choose. Henceforth I ask not good-fortune, I myself am good-fortune.” – Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass, 1855-92 (1892 ed.), Song of the
Open Road, 1
Open Road, 1
Whittier, John Greenleaf
“…No seal is on the Yankee’s mouth, No fetters on the Yankee’s press! From our Green Mountains to the sea, One voice shall thunder, We are free!” – John Greenleaf Whittier, “Stanzas for the Times,” 1835
“…‘Shoot, if you must, this old grey head, But spare your country’s flag’, she said. …” – John Greenleaf Whittier, Barbara Frietchie, 1864, st. 18
Williams, Roger
“No one tenet that either London, England, or the world doth harbor is so heretical, blasphemous, seditious, and dangerous to the corporal, to the spiritual, to the present, to the eternal good of all men, as the bloody tenet (however washed and whited) I say, as is the bloody tenet of persecution for the cause of conscience.” – Roger Williams, The Bloody Tenet Yet More Bloody, 1652
“You born free. It’s up to you to maintain it. You born with dignity and everything else…Freedom is heavy. You got to put your shoulder to freedom. Put your shoulder to it and hope your back hold up.” – August Wilson, Two Trains Running, 1990
Winthrop, Robert Charles
“A Star for every State, and a State for every Star.’ – Robert Charles Winthrop, speech at Boston Commons, Aug 27, 1862, in Addresses and Speeches vol. 2, 1867
Wise, John
“Man’s external, personal, natural liberty, antecedent to all human parts, or alliances, must also be considered. And so every man must be conceived to be perfectly in his own power and disposal, and not to be controlled by the authority of any other. And thus every man must be acknowledged equal to every man, since all subjugation and all command are equally banished on both sides; and considering all men thus at liberty, every man has a prerogative to judge for himself, viz. What shall be most for his behoof, happiness and well-being. The end of all good government is to cultivate humanity, and promote the happiness of all, and the good of every man in all his rights, his life, liberty, estate, honor, etc., without injury or abuse done to any.” – John Wise, A Vindication of the Government of New England Churches, 1717
Wooden, John
“Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” – John Wooden
Woodward, C. Vann
“The history of intellectual growth and discovery clearly demonstrates the need for unfettered freedom, the right to think the unthinkable, discuss the unmentionable, and challenge the unchallengeable. To curtail free expression strikes twice at intellectual freedom, for whoever deprives another of the right to state unpopular views necessarily deprives others of the right to listen to those views.” – C. Vann Woodward, Woodward Committee, Report on Free Speech, N.Y. Times, Jan 28, 1975
Wright, Frank Lloyd
“Freedom is from within.” – Frank Lloyd Wright
Names Unknown
African American schoolchildren
“WE KNOW NO MASTER BUT OURSELVES” – PARADE BANNER OF AFRICAN AMERICAN SCHOOLCHILDREN, CHARLESTON , SOUTH CAROLINA
African American Soldiers
“REMEMBER FORT PILLOW
Anonymous
“Oh, freedom! Oh, freedom! Oh, freedom over me! And before I’d be a slave, I’ll be buried in my grave, And go home to my Lord and be free.” – Oh Freedom! (spiritual)
“Just like a tree that’s standing by the water, We shall not be moved.” – We Shall Not Be Moved (Spiritual) Later adapted as a labor and civil rights song
“Hey brother, take my hand. Let’s get outta’ here.” – A Jewish man to Usman Farman, a Muslim, at Ground Zero, Sep 11, 2001
“A people must from time to time, refresh themselves at the well-spring of their origin, lest they perish.” – Adage
Haste makes waste – Adage
“No one is above the law.” – Adage
“Waste not, want not.” – Adage
“Where there’s a will, there’s a way” – Adage
The men at Kuching in Borneo
“THE YANK S ARE HERE!” – SHOUTED BY THE MEN AT KUCHING IN BORNEO , MAR 25, 1945
