As the United States marks Independence Day, it is important to think about the wise words of Abraham Lincoln, who is one of the country’s most famous leaders. Lincoln’s wise and thought-provoking quotes still make people think and remind us of how important freedom, unity, and the search for justice are.
From his firm belief in equality to his unwavering commitment to keeping the union together, Abraham Lincoln’s words show us how to live by the values that made America what it is today.
In this article, we look at some of Lincoln’s most powerful Independence Day quotes and talk about how they are still relevant and wise today.
Join us as we look at the wise words of Abraham Lincoln that remind us of what Independence Day is really about.
Abraham Lincoln’s Independence Day Quotes
- “Those who deny freedom to others do not deserve it for themselves.”
- “The rest of the world will never be able to destroy America. If we fail and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.”
- “I like seeing a man who is proud of where he lives. I like to see a man live in a way that makes his place proud.”
- “My dream is that America will once again be seen as the last best hope of the world.”
- “The ballot is stronger than a bullet.”
- “I am leaving you with the hope that the light of freedom will shine in your hearts until there is no longer any doubt that all people are born free and equal.”
- “At the end of the day, it’s not how old you are that matters. It’s the years of your life.”
- “The best way to know what’s going to happen is to make it happen.”
- “America won’t be happy until the last priest’s guts are used to strangle the last king.”
- “We can be upset that rose bushes have thorns, or we can be happy that thorns have roses.”
- “A house that is divided against itself cannot stand.”
- “Most people are just as happy as they decide to be.”
- “The fact that we might lose the fight shouldn’t stop us from standing up for a cause we think is right.”
- “If you want something badly enough, you can get it.”
- “I don’t have to win, but I have to be honest.”
- “Make sure your feet are where they should be, and then stand firm.”
- “Be a good one, no matter what you are.”
- “When I make someone my friend, I destroy them.”
- “The best way to get rid of a bad law is to follow it to the letter.”
- “Give me six hours to cut down a tree, and I’ll spend the first four sharpening the axe.”
- “No man’s memory is good enough for him to be a good liar.”
- “The philosophy that is taught in schools today will be the philosophy that is taught in government tomorrow.”
- “The things I want to know are in books, and my best friend is the man who will get me a book I haven’t read.”
- “Those who look for bad things in other people will find them.”
- “The fight of today is not just for today; it is also for a very big tomorrow.”
- “You can figure out how great a man is by what makes him mad.”
- “The best thing about the future is that it comes to us one day at a time.”
- “Don’t worry if people don’t notice you, but work hard to be worth noticing.”
- “The dogmas of a calmer time don’t work in a stormy time.”
- “We must not be enemies. Even though our love may have been tested, we must not let it break.”
- “Friends make up the best part of a person’s life.”
- “Whenever I hear someone make a case for slavery, I have a strong urge to put him through it myself.”
- “When you’ve reached the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.”
- “It often takes more courage to do the right thing than to be afraid of doing the wrong thing.”
- “Character is like a tree, and image is like a shadow. The tree is the real thing. The shade is what we think of it.
- “I’ve always found that being kind has better results than being strict.”
- “I am a slow walker, but I never go back.”
- “Most people are about as happy as they decide to be,” he said.
- “Every public figure has times when it’s best for him to keep his mouth shut.”
- “I’ve never had a plan; I’ve always just tried to do my best every day.”
- “The Lord likes people who don’t stand out. He made so many of them because of this.”
- “The best thing about the future is that it comes to us one day at a time.”
- “I do the best I can and the best I know how to do, and I plan to keep doing that until the end.”
- “If you expect to find bad things in people and look for them, you will.”
- “Those who deny freedom to others do not deserve it for themselves.”
- “The shepherd pushes the wolf out of the sheep’s throat. The sheep thanks the shepherd as a liberator, but the wolf calls him out as a destroyer of freedom for doing the same thing.”
- “I don’t think much of a man who’s not wiser today than he was yesterday.”
- “The fact that we might lose the fight shouldn’t stop us from standing up for a cause we think is right.”
- “I don’t care that you fell down; I care that you get back up.”
- “We can be upset that rose bushes have thorns, or we can be happy that thorns have roses.”