Written By: Avery Miller
Abraham Lincoln is the president most widely known for fighting for the freedom of slaves, most notably through the Gettysburg Address and the Emancipation Proclamation, which came about before his assassination in 1865. Below are quotes by Abraham Lincoln on Freedom that you may, or may not, have heard of.
Abraham Lincoln Quotes on Freedom:
During Abraham Lincoln’s speech at Peoria, Illinois on October 16, 1854, he says “When the white man governs himself that is self-government; but when he governs himself and also governs another man, that is more than self-government – that is despotism.” Despotism is the exercise of absolute power, especially in a cruel and oppressive way. In the same speech he also states, “According to our ancient faith, the just powers of government are derived from the consent of the governed.” In other words, Abraham Lincoln believed slavery to be unjust because of its despotic nature and lack of consent from slaves to be governed by the white man. He valued autonomy and consent in government for all people regardless of race.
Another powerful quote from Abraham Lincoln came in a letter written to H.L. Pierce on April 6, 1859. Lincoln wrote: “Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves, and under a just God, cannot long retain it.” Many people echo this sentiment and seek to remind others that the systems that harm one group, harm us all, in ways we may not be aware of. This belief also appears in Lincoln’s second annual message to Congress on December 1, 1862 where he says: “In giving freedom to the slave, we assure freedom to the free.”
One of the most famous speeches given by Abraham Lincoln was the Gettysburg Address, delivered on November 19, 1863. He begins the Gettysburg Address with the line: “Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.” You may recognize this iconic statement, but it bears a crucial reminder. All men are created equal.
We conclude with one final quote from Abraham Lincoln: “It has always been a sentiment with me that all mankind should be free.” May we carry those words with us in our day to day and never forget the freedoms we fought to have and the freedoms we are fighting to keep.
