When the US passport was redesigned in 2007, not only was a biometric chip added, but the pages were reimagined and quotes added.
Images were added. Ostensibly to cut down on counterfeits, the dark images have made some stamps difficult to read. Quotes were also added at the top of each page. In a 52-page passport, this included 25 patriotic quotes relating to the United States. Some found these quotes to be overly-jingoistic, but the selection was carefully balanced to include voices across the political spectrum.
I compiled every quote and include it below.
…And that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the Earth.
-Abraham Lincoln
The principle of free governments adhere to the American soil. It is bedded in it, immovable as its mountains
-Daniel Webster
Let us raise a standard to which the wise and honest can repair.
-George Washington
We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
-Declaration of Independence
We have a great dream. It started way back in 1776, and God grant that America will be true to her dream.
-Martin Luther King, Jr.
This is a new nation based on a mighty continent, of boundless possibilities.
-Theodore Roosevelt
Whatever America hopes to bring to pass in the world must first come to pass in the heart of America.
-Dwight D. Eisenhower
For this is what America is all about. It is the uncrossed desert and the unclimbed ridge. It is the star that is not reached and the harvest sleeping in the unplowed ground. Is our world gone? We say “Farewell.” Is a new world coming? We welcome it–and we will bend it to the hopes of man.
-Lyndon B. Johnson
May God continue the unity of our country as the railroad unites the two great oceans of the world.
-inscribed on the Golden Spike. Promontory Point, 1869.
We send thanks to all the Animal life in the world. They have many things to teach us people. We are glad they are still here and we hope it will always be so.
-Excerpt from the Thanksgiving Address, Mohawk version
The cause of freedom is not the case of a race or a sect or a party or a class — it is the cause of humankind, the very birthright of humanity.
-Anna Julia Cooper
Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.
-John F. Kennedy
Liberty is never out of bounds or off limits; it spreads wherever it can capture the imagination of men.
-E.B. White
What a glorious morning for our country.
-Samuel Adams
We are covered by the American banner; let us cling to it, and if required, sacrifice our lives defending it.
-Jose Antonio Navarro
…That this nation. under God, shall have a new birth of freedom.
-Abraham Lincoln
Go west, young man, and grow up with the country.
-Horace Greeley
Democracy is based upon the conviction that there are extraordinary possibilities in ordinary people.
-Harry Emerson Fosdick
A big iron needle stitching the country together.
-Jesamyn West
It seems to be a law of nature, inflexible and inexorable, that those who will not risk cannot win.
-John Paul Jones
It is immigrants who brought to this land the skills of their hands and brains to make it a beacon of opportunity and hope for all men.
-Herbert H. Lehman
This nation has a banner…it is the banner of Dawn. It means Liberty…Every color means liberty; every thread means liberty.
-Henry Ward Beecher
We live in a world that is lit by lightning. So much is changing and will change, but so much endures and transcends time.
-Ronald Reagan
The God who gave us life, gave us liberty at the same time.
-Thomas Jefferson
Every generation has the obligation to free men’s minds for a look at new worlds…to look out from a higher plateau than the last generation.
-Ellison S. Onizuka
For the great story behind the last quote, read this.
Nice to see someone your age paying attention to this. It give me hope for the future. As much of a mess as things may seem in the US now, we are lucky to be here, at least that is how I feel today.
Talk about “lucky to be here” …
Add a quote from Bernie Goetz , the ‘subway vigilante’ hero : “I was trapped” .
What mess? Look around, there has never to a better time to succeed in America if you are here legally and want to work hard.
Anyone crying is far left lunatic acting like they care about the lazy.
Grow up Mikey!
Then what’s your excuse?
These quotes are absurd, although it was interesting for you to compile them here. I’m frankly embarrassed to use my US passport, because of the hyper-nationalism on display.
Luckily my EU passport doesn’t feature quotes from Mussolini and every other hot-headed nationalist that has complicated Europe’s history.
Thank you for being the voice of sanity. The inclusion of all these quotes is cringeworthy to say the least.
Being a bit dramatic, aren’t we? Embarrassed because it contains quotes from historical figures? Weak, have some more soy.
Note the one guy complaining looks like a foreigner or the typical left woke loser.
Simple solution, you don’t like it, don’t get a passport. Or get one and use it to see how big a sh#thole most of the world is compared to America. Most of the world is still amazed by running water and flush toilets.
@Anthony, if you are so embarrassed please feel free to turn your US passport into the State Department. I am sure they would be happy to accommodate you.
Donald is that you?
I did exactly that (give my blue passport back) Won’t look back.
Today I’m back in Europe, enjoying my freedom to drink a beer in a public space, to have decent health care in between jobs or without millions of dollars. To share a country with compassionate normal people…well, everywhere.
Enjoying my freedom to almost certainly not get shot in the head for no reason, well…ever.
You redneck Trumper.
@Andy – Good on you.
Don’t come back!
You seem to enjoy places where you can’t ever flush toilet paper.
Nasty, nasty people and places.
God Bless America!
And stay there!
Since some people don’t like it, should the passport quotes be modified?. Example:
Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall not pay any price, not bear any burden, not meet any hardship, sell out our friends, agree with any foe, and kowtow to North Korea to assure the survival the Presidency, even if we have a puppet regime.
And finally, ask not what you can do for your country. Ask what your country can do for you. Maybe a free cell phone, maybe free city bus fare, maybe even a car?
= = =
No, don’t use the above quotes. Better yet, not so many pictures which obscure lightly stamped passport stamps.
Thank you, Matthew.
I read my passport while waiting sometimes.
Screw the haters and trolls.
Amen!
Getting my US Passport was a process that ultimately took me almost 20 years. I sincerely am proud every moment I hold it. I became a US Citizen 30 years ago tomorrow.
The next edition will add – “Covfefe”
That didn’t age well.
Happy birthday America. God bless the world super power the greatest nation in the world.
Thank you DADDY. -NATO
Make America Great Again – Donald J. Trump
@D3 … +1 . Yep .
“Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel”
Samuel Johnson
And he said that in reference to the “Patriot Party” on offshoot of the English Whig Party…..that quote is not with respect to patriotism per se. Try researching quotes in the historical context next time before you attempt to use them.
“Patriotism is the virtue of the vicious.” – Oscar Wilde
“Patriotism is the conviction that your country is superior to all others because you were born in it.” – George Bernard Shaw
“The people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders… All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism.” – Hermann Göring
“Ship them beaners back” America 2025
“Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.” – Mark Twain
A less cynical and nuanced view from an actual American and not an Irish writer/activist who promoted eugenics and opposed vaccinations.
I don’t even know why Matthew cares about passports since he seems to be for open borders. He doesn’t want the illegals kicked out from what I can understand from his writings. Matt, should illegals be deported?
We have let way too many foreigners into this country the last 50 plus years. I saw a quote online somewhere that US citizenship has become about as precious as a Sam’s Club membership.
Illegal aliens who contribute to society, don’t break laws beyond their entry, and who pay taxes should be given a pathway to legalization because we need them to keep our economy strong. The border should be sealed from illegal entry but there should be a generous guest worker program to attract both skilled and unskilled labor. In terms of skilled, we want the best and brightest coming to the USA…it’s one way we became #1.
Criminal aliens who deal drugs or commit violent crimes should be executed or enslaved to hard labor.
How’s that?
Nope, there is a LEGAL way to come here, we can’t reward those who cheated.
One and all, they go back and get in line.
I prefer the way of Reagan and Bush.
@Matthew … One “way of Bush” and Cheney was Abu Graib . Not good conduct in any respect .
I was talking about immigration policy and George H.W. Bush.
That’s crap. They should be given a pathway to anywhere but here and no, we don’t need them. At all.
@Matthew … You forget that many good and worthy applicants in the Philippines wait 10 years for an visa interview .
Meanwhile , Brandon allowed in numerous criminals .
We don’t need anybody from the Philippines or any other country. The damage is already irreparable.
The country did great from 1925 to the early 70s when there was almost no immigration. The 1925 Immigration Act was one of the best bills ever passed. The 1965 and 1990 Immigration Acts were 2 of the worst.
Almost 10 million people immigrated to the US during that time period.
Aaron, It wasn’t perfect but the foreign born population in the US in 1970 was only 4.7 percent and many of those were probably elderly Europeans. Most of the immigration was from Europe during that time which didn’t change the makeup of the country. Even when they passed the 1965 Immigration ACt the proponets said it wouldn’t change the demographics of the country, but they were wrong. In 1925 Americans thought there were too many immigrants so they put a stop to it and the vast majority of those immigrants were European.
The US was a completely different country in the 70s than it is now. I would have been even more strict on immigration between 1925 and 1965, but overall it was better than what we have now.
Between 1930 and 1945 more people left than came. Imagine that.
Stop making things up just to support your bigoted viewpoint.
Welcome Mountain, don’t worry about Aaron. We are all “bigots and racists” to him if you disagree with his view of the country. Which is basically far left liberalism and open gay sex everywhere.
A modern Sodom & Gomorrah is his goal, with 18-21 YO males in charge of it.
O you are bigot and racist because that is what you are.
As for a “ modern Sodom & Gomorrah is his goal, with 18-21 YO males in charge of it” you are the one who keeps bringing up that topic again and again again and again, which does make us all wonder about you…
I just looked at my US passport and the wording on the front seems to be crooked. It’s slanted slightly so it is not centered perfectly.
Do passports seem to be more cheaply made than before? I got my current one in 2017. I’ll have to check an older ones.
“We’re a dumping ground. We’re like a garbage can for the world”
-Donald J Trump
I agree. Let’s take all that trash and deport them all.
You’ll be out of here soon enough too. You aren’t from here. You aren’t safe know matter how much you debase yourself in fealty to trump
Happy Independence Day. It is a disappointment to read some of the comments today when we all should be able to celebrate freedom from oppression and be free from ruling monarchs. Question authority, that is what has given rise to freedom.
Davea E I agree with your comments//