George Washington Stated, 'If Freedom of Speech Is Taken Away, Then Dumb and Silent We Could Be Led'?

For years, web customers have shared a quote attributed to George Washington, the primary president of the USA, studying: “If freedom of speech is taken away, then dumb and silent we could also be led, like sheep to the slaughter.”

The quote has appeared on multiple quote meme websites, in addition to in posts on Facebook (archived), LinkedIn (archived), and different social media platforms.

For instance, on Aug. 26, 2024, X CEO Linda Yaccarino made an X post (archived) that includes the quote. That put up had acquired round 70,700 likes and 16,000 reposts on the time of this writing.

If freedom of speech is taken away, then dumb and silent we could also be led, like sheep to the slaughter. 
– George Washington

— Linda Yaccarino (@lindayaX) August 26, 2024

Some web customers have expressed doubt over the quote’s authenticity. One commenter on a March 2023 Reddit post (archived) that includes a meme of the quote mentioned: “My spidy [sic] sense tells me that George by no means mentioned that.” Equally, responding to a post (archived) from 2020 that featured the identical meme, one other Reddit person mentioned: “What’s the supply of this quote?”

These Reddit customers had good motive to be skeptical. Washington has been incorrectly named because the writer of quite a few quotes, several of which Snopes has investigated beforehand. 

On this case, nonetheless, the phrases may very well be securely traced again to Washington — for probably the most half. The quote was a simplified and shortened model of an extended quote Washington delivered as a part of a speech he gave on March 15, 1783.

Typically referred to because the “Newburgh Tackle” as a result of Washington delivered it in Newburgh, New York, the speech was written to bolster the spirits of Continental Military officers who had begun to threaten revolt, largely as a consequence of lack of pay. 

The complete textual content of the speech has been made obtainable on-line by a number of respected sources, together with the Nationwide Archives’ Founders On-line project and the National Constitution Center. A digitized version of a replica of the speech in Washington’s personal handwriting can also be obtainable by means of the net collections of the Massachusetts Historic Society, the place it may be viewed side-by-side with a transcription of the textual content.

The complete quote, because it appeared on the underside of web page 7 and the highest of web page 8 in that handwritten model, could be seen surrounded by a crimson field beneath.

(Massachusetts Historic Society)

Transcribed into kind, the complete quote learn:

With respect to the recommendation given by the Creator—to suspect the Man, who shall advocate reasonable measures and longer forbearance—I spurn it—as each Man, who regards that liberty, & reveres that Justice for which we contend, undoubtedly should—for if Males are to be precluded from providing their sentiments on a matter, which can contain probably the most severe and alarming penalties, that may invite the consideration of Mankind; motive is of no use to us—the liberty of Speech could also be taken away—and, dumb & silent we could also be led, like sheep, to the Slaughter.

The model of the quote that has circulated broadly on-line omitted or paraphrased most of Washington’s phrases, leaving solely the ultimate clause intact (except for minor modifications modernizing Washington’s capitalization and punctuation). Nonetheless, these modifications didn’t appreciably alter the which means of the quote.

As a result of the favored abridged model faithfully preserved the which means of the complete quote, if not all of its precise wording, now we have rated this declare as “Appropriate Attribution.”

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