American Montage

Please celebrate with me our nation’s 238th birthday with the following excerpts from patriotic songs and historic words from our leaders.   

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

“Oh, say can you see by the dawn’s early light, what so proudly we hailed at twilight’s last gleaming? … And the rockets’ red glare, the bombs bursting in air, gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.”        

“With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in.”

“Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord. He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored. ... His truth is marching on.”

“Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure.”

“Over there, over there; Send the word, send the word over there; That the Yanks are coming … We'll be over, we're coming over; And we won't be back till it's over over there!”

“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself”

“God bless America, land that I love. Stand beside her and guide her through the night from a light from above. ... God bless America, my home sweet home."

“Let the word go forth ... that the torch has passed to a new generation of Americans.”

“How many roads must a man walk down before you call him a man? ... The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind; the answer is blowin' in the wind.”

“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: … that all men are created equal.”

“We shall overcome, we shall overcome some day; Oh deep in my heart I do believe we shall overcome some day.”

“We cannot escape our destiny, nor should we try to do so."

“I’m proud to be an American where at least I know I’m free. And I won’t forget the men who died, who gave that right to me. ... God bless the U.S.A.”

"I can hear you, the rest of the world can hear you and the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon."

"My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring."

“Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. ... But know this, America – they will be met.”

“Oh beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain, for purple mountain majesties above the fruited plain. America, America, God shed His grace on thee.”

Happy Birthday, America!