75 Fourth of July Quotes That Encourage Us to Stand Up for What's Right

July 4th is the only major holiday during the summer and definitely one of the biggest BBQ and firework holidays in America. So whether you plan on celebrating with a backyard party or by watching your city's fireworks show, these happy 4th of July quotes remind us what America's Independence Day is all about.

From liberty quotes that inspire us to stand up for what's right, like fighting against racism in the U.S., to freedom quotes that encourage us to stick together, these 75 inspirational and funny 4th of July quotes are all about the red, white and blue.

Related: 50 Pretty and Patriotic 4th of July Nails for That Perfect Pop

4th of July Quotes

1. “America is another name for opportunity.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson

2. “Independence Day: freedom has its life in the hearts, the actions, the spirit of men and so it must be daily earned and refreshed – else like a flower cut from its life-giving roots, it will wither and die.” – Dwight D. Eisenhower

3. “It will be celebrated with pomp and parade, bonfires and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other.” – John Adams

4. "America was not built on fear. America was built on courage, on imagination and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand."— President Harry S. Truman

5. “Then join hand in hand, brave Americans all! By uniting we stand, by dividing we fall.” – John Dickinson

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6. "America is a tune. It must be sung together.”— Gerald Stanley Lee

7. “I believe in America because we have great dreams, and because we have the opportunity to make those dreams come true.” – Wendell L. Wilkie

8. "Intellectually I know that America is no better than any other country; emotionally I know she is better than every other country."— Sinclair Lewis

9. “We on this continent should never forget that men first crossed the Atlantic not to find soil for their ploughs but to secure liberty for their souls." — Robert J. McCracken

Related: 4th of July Facts and History

10. “Laughter is America’s most important export."— Walt Disney

11. “In the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope.” — Barack Obama

12.“I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!”—Patrick Henry

13. “I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him.” – Abraham Lincoln

14. “Where liberty dwells, there is my country.” – Benjamin Franklin

15. "In the truest sense, freedom cannot be bestowed; it must be achieved." — Franklin D. Roosevelt

16. “My favorite thing about the United States? Lots of Americans, one America.” – Val Saintsburt

17. "The history of free men is never really written by chance but by choice; their choice!" —Dwight D. Eisenhower

18. “America means opportunity, freedom, power.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

19. “A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government.” —Edward Abbey

20.“Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.” – John F. Kennedy

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Related: These July 4th Trivia Questions (With Answers!) Will Reveal Just How Much You Remember From History Class

21. "We must be free not because we claim freedom, but because we practice it." — William Faulkner

22. “Observe good faith and justice toward all nations. Cultivate peace and harmony with all.” —George Washington

23. “We hold our heads high, despite the price we have paid, because freedom is priceless.” – Lech Walesa

24. “Life without liberty is like a body without spirit.” —Kahlil Gibran

25. “This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave.” – Elmer Davis

26. "Humanity has won its battle. Liberty now has a country." —Marquis de Lafayette

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27. “Better to die fighting for freedom then be a prisoner all the days of your life.” ― Bob Marley

28. “Freedom lies in being bold.” – Robert Frost

29. "When you're born, you get a ticket to the freak show. When you're born in America, you get a front-row seat." — George Carlin

30. “Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must, like men, undergo the fatigues of supporting it.” ― Thomas Paine

31. "If our Founding Fathers wanted us to care about the rest of the world, they wouldn’t have declared their independence from it." — Stephen Colbert

32. "Patriotism is easy to understand in America. It means looking out for yourself by looking out for your country." — Calvin Coolidge

33. “For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.” ― Nelson Mandela

34. “Government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” – Abraham Lincoln

35. “Liberty, when it begins to take root, is a plant of rapid growth.” —George Washington

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36. "All people are born alike. Except Republicans and Democrats." — Groucho Marx

37. “The advancement and diffusion of knowledge is the only guardian of true liberty.” – James Madison

38. “The most fatal thing a man can do is try to stand alone.” —Carson McCullers

39. "My father described this tall lady who stands in the middle of the New York harbour, holding high a torch to welcome people seeking freedom in America. I instantly fell in love." — Yakov Smirnoff

40. “Liberty is the breath of life to nations.” – George Bernard Shaw

41. “Patriotism is supporting your country all the time and your government when it deserves it.” —Mark Twain

42. “The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off.” - Gloria Steinem

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43. "I'd like to be remembered as a person who wanted to be free and wanted other people to be also free." —Rosa Parks

44. “It’s Fourth of July weekend, or, as I call it, Exploding Christmas.” — Stephen Colbert

45.“Remember, remember always, that all of us, and you and I especially, are descended from immigrants and revolutionists.” - Franklin D. Roosevelt

46. “Vigor of government is essential to the security of liberty.”—Alexander Hamilton

47. "Freedom is never granted. It is earned by each generation." — Hillary Clinton

48. "I always have the most fun on the Fourth of July. You don't have to exchange any gifts. You just go to the beach and watch fireworks." — James Lafferty

49. “Liberty means responsibility. That is why most men dread it.” -George Bernard Shaw

50. “True patriotism hates injustice in its own land more than anywhere else.”
— Clarence Darrow

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51. “You wonder sometimes how our government puts on its pants in the morning.” — Jon Stewart

52. “If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.” ― George Orwell

53. “Let’s not forget why we celebrate 4th of July, it is the day Will Smith saved us from the aliens.” — Unknown

54. "Freedom makes a huge requirement of every human being. With freedom comes responsibility." - Eleanor Roosevelt

55. “‘And one day people will celebrate this day by getting shit-faced and lighting Chinese explosives. — Thomas Jefferson 1776.” — Zach Braff

56. "I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it." — Voltaire

57. “Happy 4th of July! Drink until you see stars… and stripes!” — Unknown

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58. “Liberty has never come from the government. Liberty has always come from the subjects of it. The history of liberty is a history of resistance.” — Woodrow Wilson

59. “The United States is the only country with a known birthday.” — James G. Blaine

60. “True independence and freedom can only exist in doing what`s right.” – Bringham Young

61. "Unless our conception of patriotism is progressive, it cannot hope to embody the real affection and the real interest of the nation." — Jane Addams

62. ¨Where freedom is, there is my nation.¨— Benjamin Franklin

63. "The cement of this union is the heart-blood of every American." — Thomas Jefferson

64. “You cannot conquer America." — William Pitt

65. "All great change in America begins at the dinner table." — Ronald Reagan

Related: 45 Benjamin Franklin Quotes on Liberty, Wisdom and Integrity

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66. "America was built on courage, on imagination and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand." -Harry S. Truman

67. "The greatness of America lies not in being more enlightened than any other nation, but rather in her ability to repair her faults." — Alexis de Tocqueville

68. “I venture to suggest that patriotism is not a short and frenzied outburst of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime.” — Adlai E. Stevenson

69. ¨America’s a family. We all yell at each other, and it all works out.¨— Louis C.K.

70. “Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves.” — Abraham Lincoln

71. "You can come from humble circumstances and do great things." — Condoleezza Rice

72. ¨God Bless America, my home, sweet home.¨— Irving Berlin

73. “There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured by what is right with America.”— Bill Clinton

74. ¨One flag, one land, one heart, one hand, one nation forevermore!¨— Oliver Wendell Holmes

75. "A real patriot is the fellow who gets a parking ticket and rejoices that the system works." — Bill Vaughan

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