David McCullough Quotes That Will Inspire You to Live Your Best Life

1. The lessons of history are manifold. Nothing happens in isolation. Everything that happens has consequences. We are all part of a larger stream of events, past, present, and future. We are all the beneficiaries of those who went before us--who built the cathedrals, who braved the unknown, who gave of their time and service, and who kept faith in the possibilities of the mind and the human spirit.An astute observer of old wrote that history is philosophy taught with examples. Harry Truman liked to say that the only new thing in the world is the history you don't know.From history we learn that sooner is not necessarily better than later ... that what we don't know can often hurt us and badly ... and that there is no such thing as a self-made man or woman.A sense of history is an antidote to self-pity and self-importance, of which there is too much in our time. To a large degree, history is a lesson in proportions. The American Spirit: Who We Are and What We Stand For

2. The Massachusetts constitution states that "Wisdom and knowledge, as well as virtue, diffused generally among the body of people [are] necessary for the preservation of their rights and liberties." It was the "duty" of the government, [John] Adams wrote, to educate everybody.The Northwest Ordinance reads, "Religion, morality, and knowledge being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and means of education shall be forever encouraged."These are strong, clear declarations of faith in education as the bulwark of freedom.For self-government to work, the people must be educated. The American Spirit: Who We Are and What We Stand For

3. The preservation of liberty depends upon the intellectual and moral character of the people. John Adams