“When we want a man to change his condition, we describe it as miserable, wretched, and despised, and draw a pleasing picture of that which we would have him assume. And when we wish the contrary, we reverse our descriptions.” Federal Farmer*, Letter 1, October 8, 1787 *Federal Farmer is attributed to Richard Henry Lee

“Let every American, every lover of liberty, every well wisher to his posterity, swear by the blood of the Revolution, never to violate in the least particular, the laws of the country; and never to tolerate their violation by others. As the patriots of seventy-six did to the support of the Declaration of Independence, so to the support of the Constitution and Laws, let every American pledge his life, his property, and his sacred honor....” Abraham Lincoln, The Perpetuation o

“I have shown myself as I was; contemptible and vile when I was so; good, generous, sublime when I was so; I have unveiled my interior, such as Thou hast seen it, Eternal Father! Collect about me the innumerable swarm of my fellows; let them hear my confessions; let them groan at my unworthiness; let them blush at my meannesses! Let each of them discover his heart in his turn at the foot of Thy throne with the same sincerity; and then let any one of them tell Thee if he dares

“It is not the judgment of free people only that money for defending them is safest in their own keeping, but it hath also been the opinion of the best and wisest kings and governors of mankind, in every age of the world, that the wealth of a state was most securely as well as most profitably deposited in the hands of their faithful subjects.” Stephen Hopkins, The Rights of Colonies Examined, 1764

“Common sense will tell us, that the power which hath endeavoured to subdue us, is of all others the most improper to defend us. Conquest may be effected under the pretense of friendship; and ourselves, after a long and brave resistance, be at last cheated into slavery.” Thomas Paine, Common Sense

"If all men are created equal, that is final. If they are endowed with inalienable rights, that is final. If governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed, that is final. No advance, no progress can be made beyond these propositions." Calvin Coolidge, 30th President of the United States of America, Address at the Celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

“My first wish is that America may be free; and second, that she may be restored to Great Britain in peace and harmony and upon just terms.”* John Penn, NC, Signer of the Declaration of Independence. *This was the thought process of many of our signers initially, especially prior to the Olive Branch Petition. Penn soon abandoned this line of thinking and fully supported severing ties with Great Britain.

“I am weary of politics. It is a study that corrupts the human heart, degrades the idea of human nature, and drives men to the expedients that morality must condemn.” William Hooper, NC Signer of the Declaration of Independence in 1777

“I will confess, indeed, that I am not a blind admirer of this plan of government, and that there are some parts of it, if my wish had prevailed, would certainly have been altered. But, when I reflect how widely men differ in their opinions, and that every man, (and the observation applies likewise to every state,) has an equal pretension to assert his own, I am satisfied that anything nearer to perfection could not have been accomplished... Regarding it, then, in every point

“if the British administrations should determine by force to effect a submission to the late arbitrary acts of the British Parliament, in such a situation, we hold it our indispensable duty to resist such force, and at every hazard to defend the rights and liberties of America.” James Smith, Pennsylvania Signer of the Declaration of Independence

“The pensive and awful silence which pervaded the house when we were called up, one after another to the table of the President of Congress to subscribe what was believed by many at that time to be our own death warrants. The silence and gloom of the morning was interrupted, I well recollect, only for a moment by Co. Harrison of Virginia, who said to Mr. Gerry at the table, ‘I shall have a great advantage over you, Mr. Gerry, when we are all hung for what we are now doing. Fr

“...the duty of everyman, especially of a representative of the people, to contribute to the welfare of his country without expecting pecuniary rewards.” George Ross, PA Signer of the Declaration of Independence

“We are preparing for the worst that can happen viz, a civil war. I sincerely wish reconciliation; I hope Time will manifest to the World that a steady Perseverance in the Cause of Freedom will triumph over the deep lay’d Schemes of Tyranny, & that Britain & America will again be united on the solid Foundation of Commerce & the Constitution… You have declared the New England People Rebels, & other Provinces Aiders & Abettors, this is putting the Halter about our necks, & we m

“Without freedom of thought there can be no such thing as wisdom, and no such thing as public liberty without freedom of speech, which is the right of every man as far as by it he does not hurt or control the right of another; and this is the only check it ought to suffer, and the only bounds it ought to known.” Silence Doogood (aka Benjamin Franklin)

“If your cause is just, you may look with confidence to the Lord and entreat him to plead it as his own… I willingly embrace the opportunity of declaring my opinion without any hesitation that the cause in which America is now in arms is the cause of justice, of liberty, and of human natures… The knowledge of God and his truths have from the beginning of the world been chiefly, if not entirely, confined to those parts of the earth where some degree of liberty and political ju

“That the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, that the way of life held up in the Christian system, is calculated for the most complete happiness that can be enjoyed in this mortal state… I have therefore no particular advice to leave with my children upon this subject, saving that they deliberately and conscientiously, in the beginning of life, determine for themselves, with which denomination of Christians they can, the most devoutly and profitably worship God… That dis

“The mountains tremble before thee, and the trees of the forest owed their lofty heads: the vast lakes of the west were chilled at thy presence, and the stupendous cataract of the Niagara bellowed as they approach.” Francis Hopkinson, Letters of a Tory, Letters to Lord Howe, and Answer to General Burgoyne’s Proclamation

"A final separation between the countries I consider as unavoidable.” Oliver Wolcott, CT Signer of the Declaration

“Well if they succeed, it is pretty evident what will be my fate. I have done much to prosecute the contest and one thing I have done which the British will never pardon – I have signed the Declaration of Independence. I shall be hung.” William Williams, CT Signer of the Declaration of Independence

“It is a fundamental principle in the British Constitution and I think must be in every free State, that no laws bind the people but such as they consent to be Governed by, therefore so far as the people of the Colonies are Bound by Laws made without their consent, they must be in a state of Slavery or absolute subjection to the Will of others; if this Right belongs to the people of the Colonies, why should they not claim and enjoy it?" Roger Sherman, CT Signer of the Declara