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England Quotes

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England Quotes

“Slaves cannot breathe in England; if their lungs Receive our air, that moment they are free; They touch our country, and their shackles fall.”

Ifs Country Moments Fall Air England Slavery Slave Breathe Our Country That Moment Lungs Shackles Slavery Freedom

Author:William Cowper

“Accounts of outrages committed by mobs form the every-day news of the times. They have pervaded the country from New England to Louisiana, they are neither peculiar to the eternal snows of the former nor the burning suns of the latter; they are not the creature of climate, neither are they confined to the slaveholding or the non-slaveholding States. Alike they spring up among the pleasure-hunting masters of Southern slaves, and the order-loving citizens of the land of steady habits. Whatever then their cause may be, it is common to the whole country.”

Source: Lincoln: Political Writings and Speeches

“Just as the worst slave-owners were those who were kind to their slaves, and so prevented the horror of the system being realized by those who suffered from it, and understood by those who contemplated it, so, in the present state of things in England, the people who do most harm are the people who try to do most good.”

People Trying Kind States Worst Horror Understood England Slave Harm Owners Being Real Slave Owners

Book:The Artist as Critic: Critical Writings of Oscar Wilde

Source: The Artist as Critic: Critical Writings of Oscar Wilde

“Since early middle ages when people generally taking away the barbarity of their like, were pretty content. Although it was all an illicit contentment, what with the slave systems all over the world, in England especially, the peasants and the master, etc. People were incredibly content.”

People World Age Middle Masters England Slave Etc Contentment Middle Ages Peasants Barbarity

Author:David Bowie

“I have watched how steadily the general feeling, as shown at elections, has been rising against Slavery. What a proud thing for England if she is the first European nation which utterly abolishes it! I was told before leaving England that after living in slave countries all my opinions would be altered; the only alteration I am aware of is forming a much higher estimate of the negro character.”

Source: Delphi Complete Works of Charles Darwin (Illustrated)

“As a biracial girl growing up in England, I'd never really seen any historical characters who looked like me depicted on film before that weren't being brutalized or playing slaves.”

Character Film Girl Growing Up Growing England Historical Slave Like Me Biracial Girls Growing Up

Author:Gugu Mbatha-Raw

“When I heard the truth about my name was not Cassius Clay, like I knew a black man in America named John Hawkins. Now, you know who John Hawkins was.He was a slave trader from England. But the white people of that time, if one had five slaves and his name was Jones, they would be called Jones' property. [...] Now that I'm free, now that I'm no longer a slave, then I want a name of my ancestors.”

People Ifs Knows Men Want Would Be America Names Black White Five Heard England Property Slave Ancestor Clay Traders Slave Trade Cassius Cassius Clay

Author:Muhammad Ali

“The air of England is too pure for a slave to breathe, and so everyone who breathes it becomes free. Everyone who comes to this island is entitled to the protection of English law, whatever oppression he may have suffered and whatever may be the colour of his skin.”

May War Law Air Pure Skins England Slave Protection Breathe Oppression Islands Colour Entitled English Law

Author:William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield

“My first American ancestor, gentlemen, was an Indian-an early Indian. Your ancestors skinned him alive, and I am an orphan. All those Salem witches were ancestors of mine. Your people made it tropical for them. . . . The first slave brought into New England out of Africa was an ancestor of mine-for I am a mixed breed, an infinitely shaded and exquisite Mongrel.”

People Firsts Made Alive Mines England Slave Made It Indian Gentleman Witch Ancestor Exquisite Orphan New England Tropical Salem

Author:Mark Twain

“Englishmen never will be slaves; they are free to do whatever the government and public opinion allow them.”

Government Opinion England Slave Public Opinion Englishmen Insulting Be A Slave Man And Superman

Author:George Bernard Shaw

“As Day and other observers had reported, the slaves were leading very comfortable lives. After this tactic [slave rebellions in the South] failed, it became obvious to the conspirators that an actual military invasion was the only solution to their campaign. The merchant bankers of New England, who were directly controlled by the Rothschilds, were no instructed to finance a military attack against the South. Their instrumentality was the already well-known terrorist, John Brown. He was financed by a group famed as "the Secret Six".”