Founding Documents Quotes

The Union is older than any of the States, and, in fact created them as States.

Being an American is not easy. It is hard. We are required to keep some serious promises. We are judged by a high standard, ones we crafted for ourselves in the founding documents of the republic, the ones that talk about the equality of all people, the ones that tell us that government is of the people, by the people and for the people. We need to live by this, at home and abroad, and it is just about the only thing we can do to face the hatred of those who want to destroy us. Our best defense is to stay true to who we are. Our best defense is to refuse to live in fear, of them, of ourselves, of anyone.

One stands, in fact, in awe of the Constitution of the United States, though it is an idea and not quite a reality.

Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence; Madison wrote not only the United States Constitution, or at least most of it, but also the most searching commentary on it that has ever appeared. Each of them served as president of the United States for eight years. What they had to say to each other has to command attention.

These days we think our politics are nasty and partisan. But our discourse looks like a Platonic symposium compared with the vicious fighting that marked the early Republic.

The word 'equality' shows up too much in our founding documents for anyone to pretend it's not the American way.

Why do we not celebrate the 4th of July? The Declaration of Independence is just as precious to me today as it was twenty years ago! Has it not the same validity that it had in 1776?

Our basic rights declaring document: The Declaration of Independence.

The very document that protects our liberties more than anything else, the Constitution, was, of course, drafted in total secrecy.

When our Founding Fathers wrote the historic words 'all men are created equal,' they probably didn't have people like me in mind.

After the American Revolution Alexander Hamilton wanted to study law, but there were no law books. So Hamilton wrote them.

It was a creed written into the founding documents that declared the destiny of a nation. Yes we can. It was whispered by slaves and abolitionists as they blazed a trail towards freedom through the darkest of nights. Yes we can. It was sung by immigrants as they struck out from distant shores and pioneers who pushed westward against an unforgiving wilderness. Yes we can.

The Founders knew that a democracy would lead to some kind of tyranny. The term democracy appears in none of our Founding documents. Their vision for us was a Republic and limited government.

The Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Civil War - when I really think about them, they all seem about as likely as the parting of the Red Sea.

The Constitution is clear, Article I, Section 8, power vetted in Congress to declare war. If you go back to the founding documents of this nation, the decision of going to war was to be made by people closest to the ground - the elected officials - to make those decisions.

The United States was founded by the brightest people in the country - and we haven't seen them since.

If the American Revolution had produced nothing but the Declaration of Independence, it would have been worthwhile.

The word 'free' is used three times in the Declaration of Independence and once in the First Amendment to the Constitution, along with 'freedom.' The word 'fair' is not used in either of our founding documents.

The strength of this country lies in the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights and the freedom of speech and thought.

Next to the Bible, I think the Constitution is the most important document ever written.

Coming out of 'Hamilton,' my patriotic spirit and love for my country is renewed. I think that's the case for a lot of people. It instills a newly revitalized spirit in terms of learning about the formation of our country.

I revere the Constitution.

Partly because his life ended before the age of 50, Hamilton was defined by the other founding fathers, and he managed, with amazing consistency, to alienate most of them.

This is the most extraordinary collection of talent, of human knowledge, that has ever been gathered at the White House, with the possible exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone.

… the most dramatic moment in the early politics of the Union.