Henry David Thoreau Quotes

At some period, however, of their history, almost every people, now civilized, have consisted, in majority, of slaves. A people in that condition require to raise them out of it a very different polity from a nation of savages.

The fact is, riches are power, and poverty is slavery all over the earth, and one sort of establishment is no better, no worse, for a people than another.

It is a great law of social development that the movement from slavery to freedom is also a movement from security to insecurity of maintenance.

Man is born free and everywhere he is in chains.

Some people are by nature slaves and will always be so.

Man is everywhere still in chains.

Slavery is so vile and miserable estate of man and so directly opposite to the generous temper and courage of our nation.

(People object to education and Christianization of Negroes on the grounds that:) That it would make them less governable; the contrary to which is experimentally known amongst their Neighbours, both French & Spaniards in those parts. Now 'twould be too great a blemish to the Reformation, to suppose that Popery only makes its Converts better, but Protestancy worse; as this Allegation being admitted, it must be granted

Man is born free, yet he is everywhere in chains.

Slavery to the Negro is a stepping-stone from African barbarism to Christian civilization

As it is seems natural to our nation to aspire to golden freedom (ad auream libertatem), so we experience in contrast amongst the ordinary nations of these countries such a servile character, that their freedom and self-government apparently are even worse than slavery. Moreover, when freed, they pursue their submission to another person …. They set their sail according to the wind, have themselves circumcised, following and practicing the Muslim faith

A man is none the less a slave because he is allowed to choose a new master once in a term of years.

The biographies of slaves can hardly be individualized; they belong to the class. We know bare facts; it is only the general experience of human beings in like condition which can clothe them with life. The outlines are certain, the details are inferential.

The artist must elect to fight for freedom or slavery. I have made my choice. I had no alternative. the history of the capsulize era is characterized by the degradation of my people: despoiled of their lands, their true culture destroyed...denied equal protection of the law, and deprived their rightful place in the respect of their fellows.

I am asking the U.S.A and Great Britain if, just for once, they will kindly consider the problem of Cambodia from the viewpoint of the Khmers instead of that of the French... My people will tell you: 'We don't know what communist slavery means. But the slavery imposed by the French we know well, for we are now living under it.”

...the evil system of colonialism and imperialism arose and throve with the enslavement of Negroes and the trade in Negroes, and it will surely come to its end with the complete emancipation of the Black people.

These poor wretches were stolen from their homes, carried to a strange country, and sold to servitude, from which they sought to escape on the first occasion which offered.

Slavery exists. It is black in the South, and white in the North.

The slaves of socialism are slaves, but they are no one's property and therefore no one's loss.

Why is Slavery so much condemn'd and strove against in one Case, and so highly applauded and held so necessary and so sacred in another?

The Soul of man is made an article of merchandize by his fellow man and can such a land be happy? No! Happyness does not dwell in any land that is scard by the blighting curse of Slavery.

The topic of slavery is like an electric fence. Touch it and people will react.

You cannot afford a world with slavery, which literally takes someone and turns them into a machine.

The old process of social assimilation used to be mainly about English new money - generated in London, the mucky, brassy North or the colonies - buying those houses and restoring them, and doing the three-generation thing, mouldering into the landscape, and the 'community,' identifying with the place in a familiar way.

A slave is one who waits for someone to come and free him.