I am like a man so busy in letting rooms in one end of his house, that he can't stop to put out the fire that is burning the other.
Abraham LincolnRead
And by virtue of the power, and for the purpose aforesaid, I do order and declare that all persons held as slaves within said designated States, and parts of States, are, and henceforward shall be free; and that the Executive government of the United States, including the military and naval authorities thereof, will recognize and maintain the freedom of said persons.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote declares the freedom of all enslaved individuals in certain states, emphasizing a significant change in their status.
In this quote, President Abraham Lincoln asserts his authority to emancipate all enslaved people in designated states, marking a pivotal moment in American history and the ongoing struggle for civil rights. The declaration not only frees individuals from the bonds of slavery but also sets a precedent for the federal government's role in recognizing and maintaining freedom, highlighting the moral and political shifts occurring during the Civil War era.
Themes
FreedomEmancipationSlaveryJusticeCivil Rights
In practice
Example use cases
Use this quote during a discussion about the importance of civil rights.
More from Abraham Lincoln
All quotes βSir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God's side, for God is always right.
Abraham LincolnRead
Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.
Abraham LincolnRead
How many legs does a dog have if you call the tail a leg? Four. Calling a tail a leg doesn't make it a leg.
Abraham LincolnRead
For it has been said, all that a man hath will he give for his life; and while all contribute of their substance the soldier puts his life at stake, and often yields it up in his country's cause. The highest merit, then is due to the soldier.
Abraham LincolnRead
And having thus chosen our course, without guile, and with pure purpose, let us renew our trust in God, and go forward without fear, and with manly hearts.
Abraham LincolnRead
Similar quotes
The question is one of fighting the causes and not just being satisfied with getting rid of the effects.
Che GuevaraRead
There is a curious thing that happens with the passage of time: a calcification of character... Change isn't always for the worst; the shell that forms around a piece of sand looks to some people like an irritation, and to others, like a pearl.
Jodi PicoultRead
Future shock is the disorientation that affects an individual, a corporation, or a country when he or it is overwhelmed by change and the prospect of change ... we are in collision with tomorrow.
Alvin TofflerRead
I loved every minute of my time at Microsoft, but I had always envisioned having another phase of life just because I thought that would be interesting. It had never been my plan to work until I literally didn't want to do anything and then hang it up.
Steve BallmerRead
Those who expect moments of change to be comfortable and free of conflict have not learned their history.
Joan Wallach ScottRead
If the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s civil rights movement made demands that altered the course of American lives and backed up those demands with the willingness to give up your life in service of your civil rights, with Black Lives Matter, a more internalized change is being asked for: recognition.
Claudia RankineRead