Sourced and curated.

Second Inaugural Address of Abraham Lincoln · 1865

★ 9.3

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.

1863

★ 9.2

We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battle-field and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.

First Inaugural Address of Abraham Lincoln · 1861

★ 9.0

Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!

1987

★ 9.0

But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate—we can not consecrate—we can not hallow—this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us, that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion, that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

The world is a fine place and worth the fighting for and I hate very much to leave it.

Gettysburg Address · 1863

★ 8.6

Novel · War novel

Ernest Hemingway

For Whom the Bell Tolls · 1940

★ 7.3

An evil empire.

1983

★ 7.2

Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray, that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsman's two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said "the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether."

Second Inaugural Address of Abraham Lincoln · 1865

★ 7.2

It may seem strange that any men should dare to ask a just God's assistance in wringing their bread from the sweat of other men's faces, but let us judge not, that we be not judged. The prayers of both could not be answered. That of neither has been answered fully. The Almighty has His own purposes.

Second Inaugural Address of Abraham Lincoln · 1865

★ 7.1

In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.

First Inaugural Address of Ronald Reagan · 1981

★ 7.1

A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure, permanently half slave and half free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved—I do not expect the house to fall—but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing or all the other.

1858

★ 7.0

At what point then is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide.

I was born by the river In a little tent And just like the river I've been runnin' ever since It's been a long, a long time comin' But I know a change gon' come.

1838

★ 7.0

Song

Sam Cooke

A Change Is Gonna Come · 1964

★ 7.0

We have listened to the wisdom in an old Russian maxim. And I'm sure you're familiar with it, Mr. General Secretary…The maxim is…trust, but verify.

1987

★ 7.0

A free society is a society where it is safe to be unpopular.

Adlai Stevenson

1952

★ 6.9

Press conference

As we know, there are known knowns-there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns-that is to say, we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns, the ones we don’t know we don’t know.

Donald Rumsfeld

2002

★ 6.8

It is said an Eastern monarch once charged his wise men to invent him a sentence, to be ever in view, and which should be true and appropriate in all times and situations. They presented him the words: "And this, too, shall pass away."

1859

★ 6.2

The ballot is stronger than the bullet.

1856

★ 5.5

Why should there not be a patient confidence in the ultimate justice of the people? Is there any better or equal hope in the world?

If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong.

First Inaugural Address of Abraham Lincoln · 1861

★ 5.5

Letter · Political speech