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The Founding Fathers: Quotes, Quips and Speeches
Filled with more than 200 quotes from America's most influential founders, The Founding Quotes, Quips, and Speeches captures the essence of the leaders who forged a new country based on their beliefs of freedom and liberty. Discover their thoughts on government, liberty, the people, character, and faith with quotes from George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry and many others. Every quote is sourced in end notes. Beautiful packaging complete with gold foil adds to the sophisticated feel of this hardcover, making it the perfect gift for any history lover.
176 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2013
15 people are currently reading
332 people want to read
About the author
Gordon Leidner
15 books48 followersFreelance history writer Gordon Leidner has offered free educational articles about American history at his website, www.greatamericanhistory.net, for over twenty years. He has authored twelve books, including Lincoln’s Gift: How Humor Shaped Lincoln’s Life and Legacy, The Leadership Secrets of Hamilton: 7 Steps to Revolutionary Leadership from Alexander Hamilton and the Founding Fathers, and Conversations with Lincoln: Little-Known Stories from Those Who Met America’s 16th President. Upcoming is his latest Abraham Lincoln and the Bible: A Complete Compendiumy.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
April 4, 2020
For such a short book, it really packs a punch! Leidner compiles quotes from Washington, Franklin, Adams, Madison, Jefferson, and others to capture the ideas and principles that founded the USA. This book demonstrates how liberty, character, virtue, and faith work together to sustain freedom.
I’m giving this book four stars only because the Abraham Lincoln edition is that much better. ;)
Happy to lend a copy of either to anyone who wants some thoughtful patriotic insights.
Some of my favorite quotes from this book...
“I’ve lived, sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth— that God governs in the affairs of men.” - Benjamin Franklin
“The only foundation of a free constitution is pure virtue, and if this cannot be inspired into our people in a greater measure than they have it now, they may change their rulers and the forms of government, but they will not obtain a lasting liberty. They will only exchange tyrants and tyrannies.” - John Adams
“I pronounce it as certain that there was never yet a truly great man that was not at the same time truly virtuous.” - Benjamin Franklin
I’m giving this book four stars only because the Abraham Lincoln edition is that much better. ;)
Happy to lend a copy of either to anyone who wants some thoughtful patriotic insights.
Some of my favorite quotes from this book...
“I’ve lived, sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth— that God governs in the affairs of men.” - Benjamin Franklin
“The only foundation of a free constitution is pure virtue, and if this cannot be inspired into our people in a greater measure than they have it now, they may change their rulers and the forms of government, but they will not obtain a lasting liberty. They will only exchange tyrants and tyrannies.” - John Adams
“I pronounce it as certain that there was never yet a truly great man that was not at the same time truly virtuous.” - Benjamin Franklin
October 16, 2020
A Collection of Inspiration
Reading this book to update my own book "George Washington's Liberty Key," I found a very nice collection of inspiration direct from the Founding Fathers, courtesy of Leidner's selection of their quotes, quips, and speeches, along with valuable characterizations of various leaders and events. While the book is excellent, you may find a few small issues with Leidner's 1. debatable assertion about the religion of the Founders, 2. credit to Thomas Jefferson for helping as a diplomat to France with the 1783 Treaty of Paris, and 3. description of the 1776 convention as the Constitutional Convention in the section on Samuel Adams' speech. That said, the book is highly recommended!
Reading this book to update my own book "George Washington's Liberty Key," I found a very nice collection of inspiration direct from the Founding Fathers, courtesy of Leidner's selection of their quotes, quips, and speeches, along with valuable characterizations of various leaders and events. While the book is excellent, you may find a few small issues with Leidner's 1. debatable assertion about the religion of the Founders, 2. credit to Thomas Jefferson for helping as a diplomat to France with the 1783 Treaty of Paris, and 3. description of the 1776 convention as the Constitutional Convention in the section on Samuel Adams' speech. That said, the book is highly recommended!
February 25, 2024
A lovely collection of quotes from most of the Founding Fathers. I definitely recommend reading! Also, just a side note, but the binding for this book is amazing!
November 25, 2025
Some good quotes I’d never read before, but otherwise a very curated version of quotes from the founding fathers with—as all such compilations necessarily are as a result of missing context and nuance—a bit of an agenda. Unsurprised to discover the editor is not a professional historian.
November 24, 2022
I got this at Mount Vernon and glad I did. Really cool and something I think every American should ideally read
May 5, 2023
A brief and excellent book of quotations (with end notes showing the original sources) from a variety of America's Founding Fathers. I really enjoyed this compilation and I will happily revisit and use many of these quotes over and over again.
November 26, 2024
I was given this book for my birthday. While longtime scholars of the founding era will probably learn nothing new from this book, it's still a great compilation of quotes from the founders on various topics.
With all that being said, I did have to deduct a couple of stars due to a huge error on the part of the author. At the end of his brief biography of John Adams, he states: "A lifelong rival of Thomas Jefferson, Adams expressed regret on his deathbed that Jefferson had outlived him. But Jefferson had passed a few hours earlier, fifty years to day since the signing of the Declaration of Independence." And in the short biography of Thomas Jefferson, he stated: "He had a lifelong rivalry with John Adams, and both of them seemed determined to outlive the other. Both he and Adams died on July 4, 1826--exactly fifty years after signing the Declaration of Independence. Adams outlived Jefferson by a few hours."
While Adams and Jefferson did go years without speaking to each other, they were able to patch things up, thanks largely to the efforts of fellow founding father, Dr. Benjamin Rush. They wrote letters back and forth to each other for the rest of their lives. This is well documented, and the fact that the author would say what he did in this book is absolutely inexcusable. Hopefully, this will be corrected in future editions of the book.
With all that being said, I did have to deduct a couple of stars due to a huge error on the part of the author. At the end of his brief biography of John Adams, he states: "A lifelong rival of Thomas Jefferson, Adams expressed regret on his deathbed that Jefferson had outlived him. But Jefferson had passed a few hours earlier, fifty years to day since the signing of the Declaration of Independence." And in the short biography of Thomas Jefferson, he stated: "He had a lifelong rivalry with John Adams, and both of them seemed determined to outlive the other. Both he and Adams died on July 4, 1826--exactly fifty years after signing the Declaration of Independence. Adams outlived Jefferson by a few hours."
While Adams and Jefferson did go years without speaking to each other, they were able to patch things up, thanks largely to the efforts of fellow founding father, Dr. Benjamin Rush. They wrote letters back and forth to each other for the rest of their lives. This is well documented, and the fact that the author would say what he did in this book is absolutely inexcusable. Hopefully, this will be corrected in future editions of the book.
December 15, 2014
There was dedication/foresight in our founding fathers not only in action but also in word. I enjoyed the language.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews