“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” — Thomas Jefferson · Declaration of Independence, 1776
“Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.” — Benjamin Franklin · 1755
“It will be celebrated with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.” — John Adams · Letter to Abigail Adams, July 3, 1776
“Nations grown corrupt love bondage more than liberty; bondage with ease than strenuous liberty.” — John Milton · The Ready and Easy Way, 1660
“Those who deny freedom to others, deserve it not for themselves.” — Abraham Lincoln · Letter to Henry L. Pierce, 1859