Best American History Quotes | Short & Famous Sayings Page 5

“Philadelphia Your liberty Bell still rings. Freedom, from Philadelphia Still rings. Freedom rings.... Liberty Rings. This is the heart of the USA, The point where our heart Incarnated. Men gathered here To sign three sacred contracts: First, The Declaration of Independence, Then, the Constitution and Bill of Rights. And they said to the world "By God, Let Freedom Ring.”

Wisdom America Poetry Usa American History Philadelphia

Book:The Pursuit of Happiness: A Book of Poems Honoring Our American Values

Source: The Pursuit of Happiness: A Book of Poems Honoring Our American Values

“Consider the Johnson House and the Philadelphia Juneteenth Festival in Germantown together as sites of joy, freedom, celebration and resilience in the face of tremendous odds and struggle. Both operate at the intersection of Black protest, Black ritual and Black pomp and circumstance. Together, they embody the legacy and ongoing project of Black liberation, and show us exactly what it looks like in a majority-Black neighborhood in Philadelphia, a northern city that is not only the birthplace of American democracy but has its own complicated history. Together, they connect to Galveston, Texas 5, the birthplace of the Juneteenth holiday and a southern city that is 1,500 miles away.”

American History Philadelphia American Democracy Juneteenth Galveston Germantown Johnson House Historic Site

Book:Compositions of Black Joy: A Visual Chronicle of the Philadelphia Juneteenth Festival

Source: Compositions of Black Joy: A Visual Chronicle of the Philadelphia Juneteenth Festival

“Born on January 17, 1706, he inhabited this planet until April 17, 1790. His talents were many and he was known to be a polymath. Being a politician and a “Founding Father of the United States” was just one of what he was known for. An author, printer, inventor and freemason he is known to have invented the Franklin stove and bifocal eye glasses. He published the Pennsylvania Gazette and the Poor Richard’s Almanac. A founder of the University of Pennsylvania he also served as the first United States Ambassador to France and Governor of Pennsylvania. About 20,000 people attended his funeral. He was interred in Christ Church Burial Ground in Philadelphia near the fence so that he could be close to where the ladies walked. His wit and sharp mind gave us many of his quotes!”

American History Philadelphia Sea Stories

Author:Captain Hank Bracker, "Seawater One...."

“Nowhere did our Founders lay out a plan for our government to attempt to ensure equal outcomes for citizens at the expense of those who excelled in the American environment of freedom and liberty. It was not their intent to create a system that allowed government to punish one class in order to unjustly reward another class to “level the playing field“ while at the same time buying votes.”

Liberty Liberalism American History Property Rights

Author:Daniel Rundquist

“In these United States of America that we call home, we may not know perfection - but we do know progress.”

American History American Culture The Pursuit Of Happiness

Author:Hendrith Smith

“At the heart of conventional conservation is the model of the American national park. The Indian environmentalist Madhav Gadgil writes of the influence of the top-down strategy modeled on Yosemite National Park, whose establishment in 1890 followed the forcible expulsion of the Native Americans who lived there. The history of "America's best idea" goes hand in hand with the history of white supremacy over nature and the Indigenous people of North America.”

American History National Parks Yosemite

Book:Airplane Mode: An Irreverent History of Travel

Source: Airplane Mode: An Irreverent History of Travel

“Nationalism among nations is like racism among races. Racism and nationalism are forms of tribalism. Tribalism always, always leads to war. Why? Because every nation thinks they're superior to other nations, and their own self-interest is more important than the self-interest of other nations.”

Racism Civil War Nationalism Fascism American History Racism Quotes Trumpism Quotes About Trump Tribalism Quotes Nationalism Quotes

Book:American Fascism: A German Writer's Urgent Warning To America

Source: American Fascism: A German Writer's Urgent Warning To America

“We live in a country where there are more than 60 million Latinos, making up almost a fifth of the American population. But we aren't the ones narrating our own story; rather we became subjects at the mercy of someone else finding us worthy of taking up space in the world. Until our history, struggles, and unique experiences are unearthed, the whole country will suffer because the American story will remain incomplete. It's incredible what our people have survived in this country, and how little Americans of all races, ethnicities, and backgrounds know about it. When our rich past is kept from us, it leaves people to believe that we belong somewhere else—outside this country. Without an accurate telling of our history, we cannot fully address problems that are rooted in the past. When we are viewed as foreigners, our issues become someone else's problems—not America's problems.”

American History Mexican Latino Race Relations In America Chicano

Book:You Sound Like a White Girl: The Case for Rejecting Assimilation

Source: You Sound Like a White Girl: The Case for Rejecting Assimilation

“The Reverent Theodore Parker, Unitarian minister in Boston, combined eloquent criticism of the war with contempt for the Mexican people, whom he called 'a wretched people; wretched in their origin, history, and character,' who must eventually give way as the Indians did. Yes, the United States should expand...by 'the steady advance of a superior race, with superior ideas and a better civilization...by being better than Mexico, wiser, humaner, more free and manly'. ...The racism for Parker was widespread. Congressmen Delano of Ohio...opposed the war because he was afraid of Americans mingling with an inferior people who 'embrace all shades of color....a sad compound of Spanish, English, Indian, and negro bloods...and resulting, it is said, in the production of a slothful, ignorant race of beings'.”

History Mexico American History Mexican Racism In America Us History Race And Racism In America American Imperialism

Book:A People’s History of the United States: 1492 - Present

Source: A People’s History of the United States: 1492 - Present

“Many of us understand that America was built on the brutality of slavery and the looting of Indigenous land. Fewer recognize the colonization of Mexico by the United States as a third pillar in the creation of present-day America. The first colonization of Mexico was of course by Spain. But the second colonization of my people came at the hands of the United States during the Mexican-American War. In school we learn of it as Manifest Destiny, as the God-given right of white people to steal native land. The result was not only the taking of land...but the reluctant acquisition of Mexicans. ...The annexation of Texas into the United States and a dispute over where the Texas border should be drawn gave President James Polk an excuse to loot more Mexican land...There were between 80,000 and 100,000 Mexicans living in the land stolen by the United States. Polk wanted the land, but not the Mexicans on it. They were never immigrants; they didn't come to the United States or cross the border; the border crossed them. After the war, the Mexico-U.S. border was carefully drawn to keep as many Mexicans out as possible, a purpose it still serves. But the border never stopped out roots from growing on both sides.”

American History Mexican Us History Colonization Manifest Destiny Mexican American

Book:You Sound Like a White Girl: The Case for Rejecting Assimilation

Source: You Sound Like a White Girl: The Case for Rejecting Assimilation

“...Mexicans threw a wrench in the racial dynamics of America, and in turn, our place in the United States has been precarious ever since, because we became citizens at a time when only white people could become citizens, even though most of us were not white. ...The United States wasn't happy about giving citizenship to Mexicans. After all, Mexicans were viewed as racially inferior, primitive creatures who were ignorant and knew nothing of laws. New York Times articles from the 1870s and 1880s not how the 'Lazy Mexicans' were 'retarding progress.' We were described as 'the personification of tramphood' on the front page of the Times. Another racist piece stated, 'Greasers as citizens. What Sort of State New Mexico Would Make.' Our 'origin and character,' our 'hatred of Americans,' and our 'dense ignorance' made us 'totally unfit for American citizenship.' We were an undesirable compromise for manifesting a white destiny in the West.”

Racism American History Mexican Us History Mexican American

Book:You Sound Like a White Girl: The Case for Rejecting Assimilation

Source: You Sound Like a White Girl: The Case for Rejecting Assimilation

“Like others who had once enjoyed an elite lifestyle, Lucy craved its return and whenever opportunity arrived, attempted to recreate it...By then no one questioned Lucy's role as the reigning hostess of celebrations, a role she continued to hold in public celebrations during the early Federal period.”

American History Lifestyle Quotes Elite Hostess Early Federal Period Lucy Knox Nir

Book:Defiant Brides: The Untold Story of Two Revolutionary-Era Women and the Radical Men They Married

Source: Defiant Brides: The Untold Story of Two Revolutionary-Era Women and the Radical Men They Married

“But in the weeks after the conflict, he joined with abolitionists in transforming John Brown in the eyes of antislavery northerners from a madman to a “martyr”. Countless Americans came to admire his David-like courage to strike at the mighty and hated Goliath-like slave power. The disdain for violent Black revolutionaries lurked in the shadows of the praises for John Brown, however. Black slave rebels never became martyrs and remained madmen and madwomen. Never before had the leader of a major slave uprising been so praised. Not since Bacon’s Rebellion had the leader of a major antislavery uprising been White.”

Racism Slavery American History Abolition John Brown

Book:Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America

Source: Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America

“To the early American his state government was at least on a par with the federal government in his esteem. Illustrative is the following incident: President Washington was about to arrive at Boston on a visit, and Governor Hancock was perturbed over a matter of protocol; would he be compromising the dignity of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts if he went to meet the “father of his country” on arrival, or would it be more proper that the President call at the state Capitol? The Governor finally settled the problem by pleading illness…. The sequel to that incident is worth noting. President Washington was asked to review the Massachusetts militia; he refused on the ground that the militia was the military arm of the state, not the federal government; after all, the tacit understanding in those days was that the militia might be called upon to face the federal army.”

American History Federal Government Union Federalism States Rights

Book:The Income Tax: Root of All Evil

Source: The Income Tax: Root of All Evil

“I didn't even feel quite comfortable about having a modestly good time. This guilt was a holdover from the bleak cold days of the Depression when the long gray lines quickly scratched through the hardly realized moments of color ... the long winter dream played out against an always nightmarish backdrop of black and white. Ironic indeed that it took another nightmare, the red and gold blast of war, to make us rub our eyes and become accustomed once again to a brilliant spectacle. The unfamiliar color dulled our senses to the horror. We were enjoying ourselves for the first time in a decade. This was the carnival time of life, and we intended to celebrate, and celebrate we did, although a bit uneasily and self-consciously.”

Depression World War Ii American History Wwii Second World War The Depression Margaret Brown Kilik The Duchess Of Angus

Book:The Duchess of Angus

Source: The Duchess of Angus

“Agustín Parlá Orduña was among the early Cuban aviation aces. He was born in Key West, Florida, on October 10, 1887, and received his early education there. After Cuba was liberated from Spain, the family returned to Havana, where he continued his education. On April 20, 1912, he received his pilot’s license at the Curtiss School of Aviation in Miami. On July 5, 1913, when the Cuban Army Air Corps was formed, Agustín Parlá was commissioned as a captain in the Cuban Armed Forces. On May 17, 1913, Domingo Rosillo and Agustín Parlá attempted the first international flights to Latin America, by trying to fly their airplanes from Key West to Havana. At 5:10 a.m., Rosillo departed from Key West and flew for 2 hours, 30 minutes and 40 seconds before running out of gas. He had planned to land at the airfield at Camp Columbia in Havana, but instead managed to squeak in at the shooting range, thereby still satisfactorily completing the flight. Parlá left Key West at 5:57 in the morning. Just four minutes later, at 6:01 a.m., he had to carefully turn back to the airstrip he had just left, since the aircraft didn’t properly respond to his controls. Parlá said, “It would not let me compensate for the wind that blew.” When he returned to Key West, he discovered that two of the tension wires to the elevator were broken. On May 19, 1913, Parlá tried again and left Key West, carrying the Cuban Flag his father had received from José Martí. This time he fell short and had to land at sea off the Cuban coast near Mariel, where sailors rescued him from his seaplane.”

Flight American History Cuban History Havana Key West Early Aviation

Author:Captain Hank Bracker

“46. In 1918 a World War One homing pigeon named Cher Ami saved 194 American soldiers lives by continuing her journey after losing an eye, a leg and after having been shot through the chest.”

War America Hero Heroic American History Pigeon Save Lives Cher Ami

Book:Interesting, Fun and Crazy Facts of America - The Knowledge Encyclopedia To Win Trivia

Source: Interesting, Fun and Crazy Facts of America - The Knowledge Encyclopedia To Win Trivia

“The antidote to feel-good history is not feel-bad history but honest and inclusive history. If textbook authors feel compelled to give good moral instruction, the way origin myths have always done, they could accomplish this aim by allowing students to learn both the "good" and the "bad" sides of the Pilgrim tale. Conflict would then become part of the story, and students might discover that the knowledge they gain has implication for their lives today. Correctly taught, the issues of the era of the first Thanksgiving could help Americans grow more thoughtful and more tolerant, rather than more ethnocentric.”

American History Textbooks Ethnocentrism

Book:Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong

Source: Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong

“Just as he did during the Slavery at Monticello tour, David did not mince words. "There’s a chapter in Notes on the State of Virginia,” he said to the five of us, standing in front of the east wing of Jefferson’s manor, “that has some of the most racist things you might ever read, written by anyone, anywhere, anytime, in it. So sometimes I stop and ask myself, 'If Gettysburg had gone the wrong way, would people be quoting the Declaration of Independence or Notes on the State of Virginia?' It’s the same guy writing.”

History Racism American History African Americans Blacks Presidents Thomas Jefferson Monticello Tours

Book:How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America

Source: How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America

“North Lawndale's Jewish People's Institute actively encouraged blacks to move into the neighborhood, seeking to make it a 'pilot community for interracial living.”

Chicago American History Integration Black History Us History Jewish History Interracial Chicago History Illinois History

Author:Ta-Nehisi Coates

“There is no star spangled banner, there is only blood stained banner.”

Slavery Native American American History Indigenous Rights Indigenous Peoples

Book:Tum Dunya Tek Millet: Greatest Country on Earth is Earth

Source: Tum Dunya Tek Millet: Greatest Country on Earth is Earth

“Every world has its uncle sam, the most backward of all nations. Empires erected on plunder and ruin, are the picture of degeneration.”

United States Slavery Genocide Colonialism American History Imperialism Indigenous Rights

Book:World War Human: 100 New Earthling Sonnets

Source: World War Human: 100 New Earthling Sonnets

“Flashlights there are plenty, Sun there is but one. Rushmores there are plenty, Everest there is but one. Rushmore leers as a criminal monument, While Everest stands as a gentle giant. Arrogance goes together with brutality, While valor and virtue go hand in hand.”

Genius Humanitarian Native American American History White Supremacy Neonazi Indigenous Rights Indigenous Peoples Indigenous Culture Rushmore

Book:Rowdy Scientist: Handbook of Humanitarian Science

Source: Rowdy Scientist: Handbook of Humanitarian Science

“Not only is Donald Trump the most despised candidate ever, but many of the people who have made the most scathingly censorious criticisms of him are members of his own party. This is absolutely unprecedented in our history, and it ought to give pause to all Americans, particularly supporters of Donald Trump.”

Criticism American History Republican Party Americans Donald Trump U S History Republican Party United States U S A

Book:What Donald Trump Supporters Need to Know: But Are Too Infatuated to Figure Out

Source: What Donald Trump Supporters Need to Know: But Are Too Infatuated to Figure Out

“The true father of free India was Subhas Chandra Bose, not Gandhi. Imagine Commander Washington asking his troops to never fire back a single musket ball no matter how many british guns are fired at them. And that's exactly what Gandhi asked of his people. Bose eventually raised the Indian National Army to fight against the British in India. Subhas Chandra Bose is to India what George Washington is to the United States of America. Unfortunately, Bose lost his life in a plane crash in 1945, but had he lived, he would've been the rightful prime minister of India, not Jawaharlal Nehru, who was more of a scholar, than a leader. However, the death of Bose and the struggles of the Indian National Army lighted the fire of revolution in the heart of the entire nation empowering them to revolt against the mighty British Empire, which compelled the British to leave all imperialist authority over India in the year 1947.”

India Nonviolence American History Imperialism Gandhi British Empire British History British Imperialism Indian Independence Movement Indian History

Book:Hurricane Humans: Give me accountability, I'll give you peace

Source: Hurricane Humans: Give me accountability, I'll give you peace

“Born John Paul in Arbigland, Scotland on July 6, 1747, he started his seagoing career as an apprentice aboard the sail ship Friendship, commanded by Captain Benson. Paul sailed aboard British merchant ships as well as slave ships and there was even talk that he was even engaged in piracy. Up until now Paul sailed as a watch standing mate, but became the master of the Brig John after the Captain and Chief Mate died of yellow fever. On his second voyage as captain he had one of his seamen flogged so viciously that the man died. This led to his arrest; however he was later released on bail. John Paul skipped bail and left Scotland sailing as Captain on an English ship that had 22 guns, but again ran into trouble when he killed another seaman in a dispute over wages. With this he fled to Fredericksburg, Virginia leaving everything behind. To avoid capture he changed his name by tacking the name Jones onto his given name and joined the American Continental Navy. In December of 1775, now known as John Paul Jones and with the help of some political friends, Jones was commissioned a Lieutenant aboard the 24-gun frigate Alfred. Less than a year later he became the Captain of the Alfred.”

American History Sea Stories Us Navy

Author:Captain Hank Bracker, "Seawater One...."

“So I saw someone with one of those "home of the free because of the brave" shirts a few days ago. I almost laughed. I tried not to because of the upcoming Veterans day… I guess. Home of the Slaves because of the cowards, I think would be more appropriate. Look at these American wars. Vietnam… Iraq… is that really the “brave” thing to do? Beating up on little countries cuz u’r trying to look brave huh? Cowards. And then they tell me to go work at Kroger? Are you insane? Don’t you know my fucking SAT score, you dumb fuck? Why don’t you go and invade Croatia or something instead. Idiots.”

War Freedom Patriotism American History Veterans Cowards Patriots Michael Moore

Author:Dmitry Dyatlov

“Glory and tragedy, courage and stupidity - one set of truths didn't negate the other. For war was contradiction, as was the history of America.”

War America President History American History Obama West Point

Book:A Promised Land

Source: A Promised Land

“West never had culture to begin with, neither Washington nor Rome or Buck House – when parasites bury themselves in castles, light of the human engulf the world around.”

Culture Civilization Fascism Colonialism American History Imperialism White Supremacy Neonazi Maga

Book:Sonnets From The Mountaintop

Source: Sonnets From The Mountaintop

“The American must stop being american, you must outgrow everything that the pilgrims held near and dear, because the pilgrims were among apekind's most grotesque offenders, second only to their own forefathers, the british empire and other euro imperials.”

United States Colonialism American History White Supremacy American White Privilege Native Americans Neonazi Founding Fathers Pilgrims

Book:Nazmahal: Palace of Grace

Source: Nazmahal: Palace of Grace

“America is not the best, America is the test we face - not supremacy, not perfection, but courage born of self-correction.”

America Social Justice Civil Rights American History White Supremacy American Neonazi Christian Nationalism

Book:Tierra Carta: Naskar Charter of Earth

Source: Tierra Carta: Naskar Charter of Earth

“I am not White. I am therefore immune to infection from the White Guilt pandemic that is currently afflicting the North American and West European nations.”

Racism American History Black Lives Matter Reparations Antifa Woke Culture White Guilt

Author:A.E. Samaan

“People really need to ask themselves why their communities chose to erect statues to slaveholders instead of abolitionists. (7/11/2020 on Twitter)”

History Slavery American History Statues Us History Abolitionists

Author:Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

“one consequence of the fact that our popular historical understanding erases roughly 1870 to 1932 from public memory is that many Americans have a distinctly warped view of how resilient american democracy actually is (11/12/2020 on Twitter)”

Democracy Trump American History Us History Reconstruction Donald Trump Republicans 2020 Election

Author:Jamelle Bouie

“A Thought: Can we stop showing Black and White pictures of the entire decade of the 1960s so people stop thinking it was 1000 years ago. I'm two years younger than the Civil Rights movement. And Ruby Bridges lives down the street from me and is on Instagram. (8/1/2020 on Twitter)”

Art History American History Black Lives Matter Us History Photographs Desegregation Ruby Bridges Cilil Rights Movements

Author:Hannah Beachler

“Ppl seem to operate under the false assumption that the majority of Americans are on the side of equality & progress at any given time in history when it's most often the opposite that's true. That's why the true story of democracy & rights in the USA is one of prolonged struggle (11/11/2020 on Twitter)”

Freedom Democracy Progress Equality Usa American History Equal Rights Us History

Author:Bree Newsome Bass

“Jefferson knew that slavery degraded the humanity of those who perpetuated its existence because it necessitated the subjugation of another human being; at the same time, he believed that Black people were an inferior class. This is where Jefferson's logic falls apart, historian Winthrop D. Jordan wrote in 1968. If Jefferson truly believed that Black people were inferior, then he must have "suspected that the Creator might have in fact created men unequal; and he could not say this without giving his assertion exactly the same logical force as his famous statement to the contrary.”

History Slavery American History African Americans Blacks Us History Presidents African American History Thomas Jefferson

Book:How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America

Source: How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America

“There must doubtless be an unhappy influence on the manners of our people produced by the existence of slavery among us. The whole commerce between master and slave is a perpetual exercise of the most boisterous passions, the most unremitting despotism on the one part, and degrading submissions on the other.”

History Slavery American History African Americans Blacks Degradation Us History

Book:Notes on the State of Virgina

Source: Notes on the State of Virgina

“History will judge them!' says the country with thousands of statues and memorials to Confederates (1/7/2021 on Twitter)”

Trump American History Republican Party Statues Us History Donald Trump Republicans 2020 Election

Author:Kaitlyn Greenidge

“I don’t think most people are well informed on the history of voting rights. I don’t think most people are well informed on the concept of democracy even. And that is all intentional. We have, in my view, experienced a generation of deliberate miseducation and historical revisionism around the civil rights movement specifically, around the history of voting rights, around what voting is”

Education Democracy American History Civil Rights Movement Us History Voting Rights

Author:Bree Newsome Bass

“The oppression and exploitation of Latinos (like Asians) have historical roots unknown to most Americans. People who learn at least a little about Black slavery remain totally ignorant about how the United States seized half of Mexico or how it has colonized Puerto Rico.”

Slavery Oppression Mexico American History Us History Puerto Rico Mexican History Puerto Rican History Asian American History Latino American History

Book:De Colores Means All of Us: Latina Views for a Multi-Colored Century

Source: De Colores Means All of Us: Latina Views for a Multi-Colored Century

“Manifest Destiny saw Yankee conquest as the inevitable result of a confrontation between enterprise and progress (white) versus passivity and backwardness (Indian, Mexican).”

American History White Supremacy Us History Manifest Destiny

Book:De Colores Means All of Us: Latina Views for a Multi-Colored Century

Source: De Colores Means All of Us: Latina Views for a Multi-Colored Century

“The Freedom narrative spans from the American Revolution’s origins in the nature of colonial British America—a society in which freedom was limited and in which everyone was the subject of a distant monarch—through the crisis in the British Empire that followed the French and Indian War, to the events of the War for Independence itself, and ultimately to the creation of the first great republic in modern history.”

American History Us History American Revolution

Book:Freedom: The Enduring Importance of the American Revolution

Source: Freedom: The Enduring Importance of the American Revolution

“History is not a bedtime story. It is a comprehensive engagement with often obscure documents and books no longer read—books shelved in old archives, and fragile pamphlets contemporaneous with the subject under study—all of which reflect a world view not ours.”

History Historical American History Us History American Hamilton Founding Fathers Aaron Burr Nancy Isenberg

Book:Fallen Founder: The Life of Aaron Burr

Source: Fallen Founder: The Life of Aaron Burr

“...the Anti-Imperialist League...carried on a long campaign to educate the American public about the horrors of the Philippine war and the evils of imperialism. It was...united in a common moral outrage at what was being done to the Filipinos in the name of freedom. Whatever their differences on other matters, they would all agree with William James's angry statement: 'God damn the U.S. for its vile conduct in the Philippine Isles'.”

History American History Us History Philippines Filipino American Imperialism

Book:A People’s History of the United States: 1492 - Present

Source: A People’s History of the United States: 1492 - Present

“America was paralyzed; on one hand, by the power of the Southern Democrats in Congress, whose inordinate political strength and control of key committees was based on their ability to win reelection after reelection because of massive disfranchisement and racial terror; and on the other, by the missionary-like belief that America was the champion of democracy and freedom in the battle against the Soviet Union, whose death grip on human rights had no limits.”

Racism American History Cold War Soviet Union Us History Voter Suppression

Book:One Person, No Vote: How Voter Suppression Is Destroying Our Democracy