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Slavery is the great and foul stain upon the North American Union.
John Quincy Adams
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Slavery represents a significant moral failure in the history of the United States.

In this quote, John Quincy Adams emphasizes the profound moral and ethical degradation that slavery inflicted on the fabric of the North American Union. He denotes slavery not just as a social issue but as a fundamental stain that tarnishes the nation's principles and values, highlighting the need for acknowledgment and rectification of this injustice.

Themes

SlaveryJusticeMoralityHistoryAmericaUnion

In practice

Example use cases

During a lecture on American history, one might use this quote to discuss the moral implications of slavery.

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His face is livid, gaunt his whole body, his breath is green with gall; his tongue drips poison.
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It is among the evils of slavery that it taints the very sources of moral principle. It establishes false estimates of virtue and vice: for what can be more false and heartless than this doctrine which makes the first and holiest rights of humanity to depend upon the color of the skin?
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According to the Stoics, all vice was resolvable into folly: according to the Christian principle, it is all the effect of weakness.
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