Presidential Freedom Quotes
Quotations on Liberty and Freedom by Great American Leaders
Feb 28, 2009
American presidents have had much to say about freedom and liberty throughout U.S. history. The following are a sampling of the words of seven American leaders, speaking on the ideals of freedom and liberty as they relate to democracy. These presidential quotes are provided as seeds for discussion and debate.
George Washington, 1st U.S. President (1732-1799)
“Liberty, when it begins to take root, is a plant of rapid growth.”
“It will be found an unjust and unwise jealousy to deprive a man of his natural liberty upon the supposition he may abuse it.”
“If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.”
Thomas Jefferson, 3rd U.S. President (1743-1826)
“I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than those attending too small a degree of it.”
“Timid men prefer the calm of despotism to the tempestuous sea of liberty.”
“The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground.”
“What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure.”
Abraham Lincoln, 16th U.S. President (1809-1865)
“Freedom is the last, best hope of earth.”
“Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves.”
“Freedom is not the right to do what we want, but what we ought. Let us have faith that right makes might and in that faith let us; to the end, dare to do our duty as we understand it.”
“America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.”
Franklin D. Roosevelt, 32nd U.S. President (1882-1945)
"We look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms. The first is freedom of speech and expression…The second is freedom of every person to worship God in his own way…The third is freedom from want….The fourth is freedom from fear…anywhere in the world.”
“We, and all others who believe in freedom as deeply as we do, would rather die on our feet than live on our knees.”
“True individual freedom cannot exist without economic security and independence. People who are hungry and out of a job are the stuff of which dictatorships are made.”
“The only sure bulwark of continuing liberty is a government strong enough to protect the interests of the people, and a people strong enough and well enough informed to maintain its sovereign control over the government.”
John F. Kennedy, U.S. 35th President (1917-1963)
“The unity of freedom has never relied on uniformity of opinion.”
“The cost of freedom is always high, but Americans have always paid it. And one path we shall never choose, and that is the path of surrender, or submission.”
“In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility - I welcome it.”
“Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.”
Ronald Reagan, 40th U.S. President, (1911-2004)
“Concentrated power has always been the enemy of liberty.”
“We will always remember. We will always be proud. We will always be prepared, so we will always be free.”
“Freedom prospers when religion is vibrant and the rule of law under God is acknowledged.”
“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.”
Barack Obama, 44th and current U.S. President, (b. 1961)
“Today we are engaged in a deadly global struggle for those who would intimidate, torture, and murder people for exercising the most basic freedoms. If we are to win this struggle and spread those freedoms, we must keep our own moral compass pointed in a true direction.”
Using Presidential Quotes on Freedom and Liberty
Freedom and liberty may be viewed differently by different people and in different times. But as historian Eric Foner said, the idea of freedom is “fundamental to Americans’ sense of themselves as individuals and as a nation.” These seven American leaders were elected to the highest office in the nation because they, like the other U.S. Presidents, represent the American experience and a deeply rooted belief in freedom and democracy.
The presidential quotes included above are offered in the spirit of discussion and debate, as that is the root of America’s treasured freedom of speech.
For biographies of these and the other U.S. Presidents check out the official White House website.
For more quotes about liberty read "Liberty Quotes Reflect the American Experience."
Foner, Eric. The Story of American Freedom. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Co., 1998.
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