The American backwoodsman -- clad in his hunting shirt, the product of his domestic industry, and fighting for the country he loves, he is more than a match for the vile but splendid mercenary of a European despot.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- A free American citizen is superior to a hired soldier of a dictator.
- In plain terms
- A citizen fighting for his country beats a mercenary.
- What can you take from it?
- Freedom makes ordinary people formidable.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What makes a citizen soldier effective?
- Is patriotism enough for victory?
Another view
It romanticizes conflict and overlooks individual hardship.
More from William Henry Harrison
Sir, I wish you to understand the true principles of the Government. I wish them carried out. I ask nothing more.
Permalink to quote #3 The chains of military despotism once fastened upon a nation, ages might pass away before they could be shaken off.
Permalink to quote #5 I contend that the strongest of all governments is that which is most free
Permalink to quote #2
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