The Fourth of July is not just a fun holiday. It’s a day of huge significance in American history. It’s when Americans celebrate the nations independence and the hard fought rights that became the Declaration of Independence.
So there’s a lot to be inspired by on the 4th of July. With that in mind we have these inspiring and patriotic 4th July quotes that sum up the spirit of freedom and unity that lies at the heart of the American dream.
Patriotic Quotes
“We must be knit together as one man; we must breathe, as it were, one spirit, and move forward with one steady, vigorous, and united step.” – John Dickinson
“Where liberty dwells, there is my country.” – Benjamin Franklin
“Liberty, when it begins to take root, is a plant of rapid growth.” – George Washington
“Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must undergo the fatigue of supporting it.” – Thomas Paine
“The philosophy of the school room in one generation will be the philosophy of government in the next.” – Abraham Lincoln
“The cement of this Union is the heart-blood of every American.” – Thomas Jefferson
“Freedom is nothing but a chance to be better.” – Albert Camus
“Let freedom reign. The sun never set on so glorious a human achievement.” – Nelson Mandela
“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.” – Ronald Reagan
“Liberty is the breath of life to nations.” – George Bernard Shaw
Quotes Celebrating Unity and Diversity
“America was not built on fear. America was built on courage, on imagination, and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand.” – Harry S. Truman
“If we don’t learn to live together as brothers and sisters, we will perish together as fools.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
“The strength of our nation lies in the diversity of its people.” – Rosa Parks
“The essence of America – that which really unites us – is not ethnicity, or nationality, or religion. It is an an idea – and what an idea it is: that you can come from humble circumstances and do great things.” – Condoleezza Rice
“I am not an American citizen, but I consider myself an American patriot.” – Sydney J. Harris
“We have become not a melting pot, but a beautiful mosaic. Different people, different beliefs, different yearnings, different hopes, different dreams.” – Jimmy Carter
“Our ability to reach unity in diversity will be the beauty and the test of our civilization.” – Mahatma Gandhi
“The diverse people who make up America are working to achieve a common purpose, a common aspiration, a common destiny.” – Barack Obama
“The American dream is not a race. It is a unifying set of ideals, including the beliefs that anybody can make it with hard work and that everybody gets a fair shot at success.” – Madeleine Albright
“The vigor of our unique democracy lies in honoring our diversity, not merely by tolerating it, but by embracing it.” – Jill Biden
Quotes on the Pursuit of Happiness
“The pursuit of happiness is a most ridiculous phrase: if you pursue happiness you’ll never find it.” – C.P. Snow
“The happiness of every country depends upon the character of its people, rather than the abundance of its resources.” – L. Tom Perry
“The purpose of life is the pursuit of happiness. That is the timeless principle that has always been the core of America’s civic philosophy.” – James Truslow Adams
“The life of the nation is secure only while the nation is honest, truthful, and virtuous.” – Frederick Douglass
“Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt
“The only way to find true happiness is to risk being completely cut open.” – Chuck Palahniuk
“Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions.” – Dalai Lama XIV
“Folks are usually about as happy as they make their minds up to be.” – Abraham Lincoln
“The US Constitution doesn’t guarantee happiness, only the pursuit of it. You have to catch up with it yourself.” – Benjamin Franklin
“The pursuit of happiness is a most ridiculous phrase, because when you catch up with it, it is gone.” – Philip Stanhope
Funny Quotes 4th July Quotes
“A grand democracy to associate with the statement: ‘Of the people, by the people, for the people.'” – Amish Saying
“My favorite holiday is definitely America’s birthday, the 4th of July. Hot dogs, beer, and fireworks – it doesn’t get any better!” – David Wain
“In the truest sense, freedom cannot be bestowed; it must be achieved.” – Franklin D. Roosevelt
“I always love to quote Albert Einstein because nobody dares contradict him.” – Evangelos Venizelos
“The United States is the only country left that tinkers with human rights by way of torture.” – Pamela Anderson
“Knowledge is good. It protects you against being fooled by sweet-talking hucksters.” – Bill Murray
“I love America more than any other country in this world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually.” – James Baldwin
“Democracy is being allowed to vote for the candidate you dislike least.” – Robert Byrne
“There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured by what is right with America.” – Bill Clinton
“Uncle Sam is going broke, while foreigners go rich off our debt. These are not signs of a government secure.” – Russ Feingold
Quotes on Gratitude and Appreciation
“This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave.” – Elmer Davis
“I am grateful for the freedom we have in America – for those who fought for it with their lives.” – Kathy Mattea
“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
“This country will not be a good place for any of us to live in unless we make it a good place for all of us to live in.” – Theodore Roosevelt
“The American, by nature, is optimistic. He is experimental, an inventor, and a builder who builds best when called upon to build greatly.” – John F. Kennedy
“Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.” – John F. Kennedy
“America is hope. It is compassion. It is excellence. It is valor.” – Paul Tsongas
“And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” – John F. Kennedy
“I love my freedom. I was born free and I shall remain free, alive and indefatigable.” – Marquis de Lafayette
“America is another name for opportunity.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
We hope these Fourth of July quotes have reminded you of the values that have shapes the American spirit. Use them to celebrate not just the 4th of July but the principles that American was built on and guide us to this day.
Sally Gibson is the founder of Someone Sent you a Greeting, a holiday/celebration website. Sally’s writing work has been mentioned in Woman’s World, Yahoo, Women’s Health, MSN and more. If you have any questions get in contact with one of the team via the about page.