Loyalty means nothing unless it has at its heart the absolute principle of self-sacrifice.
Woodrow WilsonRead
The Civil War created in this country what had never existed before - a national consciousness. It was not the salvation of the Union; it was the rebirth of the Union.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The Civil War fostered a sense of national identity in America, transforming the concept of the Union into something renewed and profound.
Woodrow Wilson's quote highlights the significance of the Civil War in shaping a collective American identity. Rather than merely preserving the Union, the conflict fundamentally altered the nation's consciousness, leading to a deeper understanding of what it meant to be united. This rebirth signifies a transformative moment in American history, where people began to view themselves not just as residents of individual states, but as part of a larger national family.
Themes
Civil WarNational ConsciousnessUnionRebirthIdentity
In practice
Example use cases
In a history class discussing the impacts of the Civil War.
More from Woodrow Wilson
All quotes →Since trade ignores national boundaries and the manufacturer insists on having the world as a market, the flag of his nation must follow him, and the doors of the nations which are closed against him must be battered down. Concessions obtained by financiers must be safeguarded by ministers of state, even if the sovereignty of unwilling nations be outraged in the process. Colonies must be obtained or planted, in order that no useful corner of the world may be overlooked or left unused.
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The history of liberty is the history of limitations on the power of government, not the increase of it. When we resist, therefore, the concentration of power, we are resisting the processes of death, because concentration of power is what always precedes the destruction of human liberties.
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We grow great by dreams. All big men are dreamers.
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The way to stop financial joyriding is to arrest the chauffeur, not the automobile.
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Once lead this people into war, and they'll forget there ever was such a thing as tolerance. To fight, you must be brutal and ruthless, and the spirit of ruthless brutality will enter into the very fiber of our national life, infecting Congress, the courts, the policeman on the beat, the man in the street.
Woodrow WilsonRead
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