Quotes About History

The past does not repeat itself but it often rhymes.

Vic smelled the vast vault filled with books before she saw it... She breathed deeply of the scent of decaying fiction, disintegrating history, and forgotten verse, and she observed for the first time that a room full of books smelled like dessert: a sweet snack made of figs, vanilla, glue, and cleverness.

We dare not forget today that we are the heirs of that first revolution.

When asked by an anthropologist what the Indians called America before the white man came, an Indian said simply, "Ours."

Perhaps America will one day go fascist democratically, by popular vote.

There has been war since the beginning of time and we are no smarter than the people that have gone before us. There is apt to be some more war.

Peace has its victories no less than war, but it doesn't have as many monuments t' unveil.

Peace is the short interval when nations toil to pay the costs of past and future wars.

I have a scheme for stopping war. It's this — no nation is allowed to enter a war till they have paid for the last one.

You can't say that civilization don't advance, however, for in every war they kill you in a new way.

Wine wears no breeches.

I know as well as you must that there are many articles of belief clinging to the skirts of our time which are the bequests of the ages of ignorance that God winked at.

The United States is the only country with a known birthday. All the rest began, they know not when, and grew into power, they know not how.... There is no "Republican," no "Democrat," on the Fourth of July, — all are Americans.

Fourth of July — it was good enough for George Washington, it's good enough for me.

It is one of nature's ways that we often feel closer to distant generations than to the generation immediately preceding us.

If you will protest courageously, and yet with dignity and Christian love, when the history books are written in future generations, the historians will have to pause and say, "There lived a great people — a black people — who injected new meaning and dignity into the veins of civilization." This is our challenge and our overwhelming responsibility.

Did you read what this writer dug up in George Washington's diary? I was so ashamed I sat up all night reading it. This should be a lesson to Presidents to either behave themselves or not to keep a diary.

George Washington is the only president who didn't blame the previous administration for his troubles.

Ohio claims they are due a president as they haven't had one since Taft. Look at the United States, they have not had one since Lincoln.

New is something old that has been long forgotten.

A Short History of Medicine: 2000 B.C. – "Here, eat this root." 1000 B.C. – "That root is heathen, say this prayer." 1850 A.D. – "That prayer is superstition, drink this potion." 1940 A.D. – "That potion is snake oil, swallow this pill." 1985 A.D. – "That pill is ineffective, take this antibiotic." 2000 A.D. – "That antibiotic is artificial. Here, eat this root."

Biographical Sketch, In Fugitive Crayons, of Horace Walpole, Earl of Orford

ACADEME, n. An ancient school where morality and philosophy were taught. ACADEMY, n. (from academe). A modern school where football is taught.

History is herstory too.