{"quotes":[{"text":"The whole people must take upon themselves the education of the whole people, and must be willing to bear the expense of it,' [John] Adams wrote. 'There should not be a district of one mile square, without a school in it, not founded by a charitable individual, but maintained at the public expense of the people themselves.' Jefferson's fear was that without such a system of public education, the country would end up being ruled by a privileged elite that would recycle itself through a network of private institutions that entrenched their advantage.","author":"Fareed Zakaria","tags":["college","education","founding-fathers","liberal-arts"],"id":4216,"author_id":"Fareed+Zakaria"},{"text":"I hope that we shall crush in its birth the aristocracy of our monied corporations which dare already to challenge our government to a trial of strength, and bid defiance to the laws of our country.","author":"Thomas Jefferson","tags":["corporations","founding-fathers","government"],"id":15327,"author_id":"Thomas+Jefferson"},{"text":"It was because 'in 1776 our fathers retired the gods from politics.' The basic principle of the American Republic is the freedom of man in society.The Declaration of Independence was the product of Intellectual Emancipation, and that is why, from thenceforth, our date of existence should be recorded, not from the mythical birth of Jesus Christ, but from the day of our Independence! This should be the year one hundred and seventy-eight in our calendar!Despite discouraging signs here and there, the seeds of freedom planted by the American Revolution will take root, and throughout the world, if man will learn to zealously guard his freedom, Peace and Progress will come to all the world.","author":"Joseph Lewis","tags":["declaration-of-independence","founding-fathers","freedom","peace","politics","progress","society"],"id":39939,"author_id":"Joseph+Lewis"},{"text":"When the same lessons of life that taught them teaches you, you get a good understanding of what made them become who and what they became; you appreciate them better and you uphold the dignity of their integrity in high esteem!","author":"Ernest Agyemang Yeboah","tags":["criticism","critics","experience","founding-fathers","great-men-and-women","judging-others","trials-and-tribulations"],"id":44190,"author_id":"Ernest+Agyemang+Yeboah"},{"text":"One thing is clear: The Founding Fathers never intended a nation where citizens would pay nearly half of everything they earn to the government.","author":"Ron Paul","tags":["constitution","founding-fathers","illegal-taxes","income-tax","politics","ron-paul","tax","taxes"],"id":70341,"author_id":"Ron+Paul"},{"text":"Give me liberty or give me d.","author":"Patrick Henry","tags":["american-revolution","death","founding-fathers","freedom","history","liberty","revolt","revolution"],"id":75762,"author_id":"Patrick+Henry"},{"text":"Slavery was immensely profitable to some masters. James Madison told a British visitor shortly after the American Revolution that he could make 257 dollars on every (black slave) in a year, and spend only 12 or 13 dollars on his keep.","author":"Howard Zinn","tags":["american-revolution","food-for-thought","founding-fathers","slavery","slavery-history","slavery-in-the-united-states"],"id":83025,"author_id":"Howard+Zinn"},{"text":"The United States of America is logically the least magical place in the world. Planned by committee, not even a country, just a legal umbrella for fifty associated provinces, an elaborate polling system for creating other larger and more permanent committees. No mysteries; no demons; one God at the most. Sure, it had its own folklore and tall tales, but it wasn’t the same. Its rulers weren’t descended from men and women who spoke with birds and rode dragons. Johnny Appleseed and Paul Bunyan were hayseeds, folksy also-rans compared to the madness in the ancient royal blood going back to the Druids, to Byzantium, to Mithraic cults.","author":"Austin Grossman","tags":["america","founding-fathers","founding-fathers-religion","lovecraftian"],"id":86541,"author_id":"Austin+Grossman"},{"text":"Jay was attacked with peculiar venom. Near his New York home, the walls of a building were defaced with the gigantic words, 'Damn John Jay. Damn everyone that won’t damn John Jay. Damn everyone that won’t put up lights in the windows and sit up all night damning John Jay.","author":"Ron Chernow","tags":["founding-fathers","graffiti","politics"],"id":89374,"author_id":"Ron+Chernow"},{"text":"...Defeat appears to me preferable to total Inaction.","author":"John Adams","tags":["action","founding-fathers","justice"],"id":95496,"author_id":"John+Adams"}],"pagination":{"page":1,"page_size":10,"total":33,"pages":4,"next":"?page=2\u0026page_size=10"}}