The breaking waves dashed high
On a stern and rock-bound coast;
And the woods against a stormy read more

The breaking waves dashed high
On a stern and rock-bound coast;
And the woods against a stormy sky,
Their giant branches toss'd.

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one
people to dissolve the political bands which read more

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one
people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them
with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the
separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of
Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of
mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel
them to the separation.
We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created
equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain
unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the
Pursuit of Happiness--That to secure these Rights, Governments
are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the
the Consent of the Governed, that whenever any Form of
Government becomes destructive to these Ends, it is the Right of
the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new
Government, laying its foundation on such Principles and
and organizing its Powers in such Form, as to them shall seem
most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. . . .

My toast would be, may our country always be successful, but
whether successful or otherwise, always right.

My toast would be, may our country always be successful, but
whether successful or otherwise, always right.

Republics are created by the virtue, public spirit, and intelligence of the citizens. They fall, when the wise are banished read more

Republics are created by the virtue, public spirit, and intelligence of the citizens. They fall, when the wise are banished from the public councils, because they dare to be honest, and the profligate are rewarded, because they flatter the people in order to betray them.

America now stands as the world's foremost power. We should be proud: Not since the age of the Romans have read more

America now stands as the world's foremost power. We should be proud: Not since the age of the Romans have one people achieved such preeminence. But we are not Romans; we do not seek an empire. We are Americans, trustees of a vision and a heritage that commit us to the values of democracy and the universal cause of human rights.

O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountains majesties
read more

O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountains majesties
Above the fruited plain.
America! America! God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea.

We believe that what matters most is not narrow appeals masquerading as values, but the shared values that show the read more

We believe that what matters most is not narrow appeals masquerading as values, but the shared values that show the true face of America; not narrow values that divide us, but the shared values that unite us: family, faith, hard work, opportunity and responsibility for all, so that every child, every adult, every parent, every worker in America has an equal shot at living up to their God-given potential. That is the American dream and the American value.

A people who are still, as it were, but in the gristle, and not
yet hardened into the bone read more

A people who are still, as it were, but in the gristle, and not
yet hardened into the bone of manhood.

Asylum of the oppressed of every nation.

Asylum of the oppressed of every nation.