56 Best Patriotic Quotes That Show What America Is All About
“America is a tune. It must be sung together.”
To be patriotic is to love your country! And there's no better way to embrace that feeling than with these patriotic quotes. Sure, you can read these words of inspiration on holidays like the 4th of July and Memorial Day, but patriotism is something that can be felt in the air on regular days of the week, too. While those two holidays tell an important story in this country's history, there are plenty of other reasons to feel proud of where you live. Whether you're on the hunt for a patriotic Instagram caption or a pride-filled message to text to a friend who you're proud of, you're bound to find it here.
Ahead, you'll find a quote for just about every mood and occasion, including simple one-liners like Christopher Gadsden's words: “What I can do for my country, I am willing to do.” There are also longer verses with a little more to unpack like this quote from Franklin D. Roosevelt about freedom: “In the truest sense, freedom cannot be bestowed; it must be achieved.” Thrown into the mix are a few unexpected 4th of July quotes and Memorial Day quotes about patriotism by household names, like these words from John Adams: “It will be celebrated with pomp and parade, bonfires and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other.”
More patriotic reads for you to indulge in:
William Faulkner
“We must be free not because we claim freedom, but because we practice it.”
Thurgood Marshall
“This is your democracy. Make it. Protect it. Pass it on.”
Herbert Hoover
“Freedom is the open window through which pours the sunlight of the human spirit and human dignity.”
George Orwell
“If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.”
Daniel Webster
“May the sun in his course visit no land more free, more happy, more lovely, than this our own country!”
Bob Poser
“The land of opportunity. You just need the right people and the right work ethic and you can accomplish anything.”
Michelle Obama
“The fact is, with every friendship you make and every bond of trust you establish, you are shaping the image of America projected to the rest of the world.”
Oprah Winfrey
“It’s important because we let people know why America is what it is. It’s about an ideal and that ideal is freedom for everybody.”
Valerie Jarrett
“For, we, the people, are ultimately in control of the America’s story.”
George Bernard Shaw
“Liberty is the breath of life to nations.”
Eleanor Roosevelt
“True patriotism springs from a belief in the dignity of the individual, freedom and equality not only for Americans but for all people on earth.”
Sgt. Major Bill Paxton
“May we never forget our fallen comrades. Freedom isn’t free.”
Gerald Stanley Lee
“America is a tune. It must be sung together.”
Bob Riley
“I have long believed that sacrifice is the pinnacle of patriotism.”
Frederick Douglass
“The life of the nation is secure only while the nation is honest, truthful and virtuous.”
Christopher Gadsden
“What I can do for my country, I am willing to do.”
Douglas MacArthur
“Duty, honor, country. Those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to be, what you can be, what you will be.”
Bob Dylan
“I think of a hero as someone who understands the degree of responsibility that comes with his freedom.”
Peter Marshall
“May we think of freedom, not as the right to do as we please, but as the opportunity to do what is right.”
Franklin D. Roosevelt
“In the truest sense, freedom cannot be bestowed; it must be achieved.”
Josiah is the Digital Content Producer for the commerce team at Popular Mechanics, Best Products, Runner’s World, and Bicycling Magazine. He also writes for “BIO Buys”—a column on Biography.com—giving readers the lowdown on what products their favorite celebs are using. In another life, Josiah was an editor at ThePioneerWoman.com, where he sharpened his expertise on all things lifestyle, food-news, and entertainment. Outside work related matters, he’s a fan of Studio Ghibli films, unimportant reality TV drama, and melancholy Lorde songs.
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