--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A man's rights rest in three boxes: the…" description: "\"A man's rights rest in three boxes: the ballot box, the jury box, and the cartridge box.\" — Frederick Douglass" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b2/frederick-douglass-859_ballots_a-man-s-rights-rest-in-three-boxes-the-b_3178056.png" --- # A man's rights rest in three boxes: the ballot box, the… ![“A man's rights rest in three boxes: the ballot box, the jury box, and the cartridge box.” quote by Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b2/frederick-douglass-859_ballots_a-man-s-rights-rest-in-three-boxes-the-b_3178056.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b2/frederick-douglass-859_ballots_a-man-s-rights-rest-in-three-boxes-the-b_3178056.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b2/frederick-douglass-859_ballots_a-man-s-rights-rest-in-three-boxes-the-b_3178056.png) > “A man's rights rest in three boxes: the ballot box, the jury box, and the cartridge box.” [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Freedom depends on voting, fair trials, and self-defense against oppression. **In simple terms:** Freedom needs voting, juries, and arms. Key Takeaway Protect rights through civic participation and self-defense. Themes freedom rights justice Mood urgent thoughtful Type political historical When to use this quote - voting - jury service - self-defense - political activism Key Concepts democracy self-defense civil liberties Questions to Reflect On - Is armed self-defense justified today? - How can we strengthen the ballot and jury systems? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on arms can lead to violence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ballots](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ballots/) [Gun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gun/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rights/) ## Related quotes > [In America, freedom and justice have always come from the ballot box, the jury box, and when that fails, the cartridge box.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-symms/in-america-freedom-and-justice-have-always-come-from-the-ballot-box/) Steve Symms > [Democracy is defended in 3 stages. Ballot Box, Jury Box, Cartridge Box.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/democracy-is-defended-in-3-stages-ballot-box-jury-box-cartridge-box/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [We have four boxes with which to defend our freedom: the soap box, the ballot box, the jury box, and the cartridge box.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-mcdonald/we-have-four-boxes-with-which-to-defend-our-freedom-the-soap-box-the/) Larry McDonald > [Educate your sons and daughters, send them to school, and show them that beside the cartridge box, the ballot box, and the jury box,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/educate-your-sons-and-daughters-send-them-to-school-and-show-them/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [Jurors have found, again and again, and at critical moments, according to what is their sense of the rational and just. If their sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-p-thompson/jurors-have-found-again-and-again-and-at-critical-moments-according/) [E. P. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-p-thompson/) > [“Jury trials are really nothing more than poorly written stage plays. You’ve got two authors writing opposing narratives and a director who is paid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-l-silver/jury-trials-are-really-nothing-more-than-poorly-written-stage-plays/) [Elizabeth L. Silver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-l-silver/) > [“The older you grow the more of it you’ll see. The one place where a man ought to get a square deal is in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/the-older-you-grow-the-more-of-it-you-ll-see-the-one-place-where-a/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [“I desire to tamper with the jury law. I wish to alter it as to put a premium on intelligence and character, and close…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/i-desire-to-tamper-with-the-jury-law-i-wish-to-alter-it-as-to-put-a/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [I pretended I had urgent business at the prosecutor's table which, in one of The System's obvious tells, was always millimeters from the jury…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergio-de-la-pava/i-pretended-i-had-urgent-business-at-the-prosecutor-s-table-which-in/) [Sergio De La Pava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergio-de-la-pava/) > [“Oh, I beg your pardon!” she exclaimed in a tone of great dismay, and began picking them up again as quickly as she could,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-carroll/oh-i-beg-your-pardon-she-exclaimed-in-a-tone-of-great-dismay-and/) [Lewis Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-carroll/) > [The one place where a man ought to get a square deal is in a courtroom, be he any color of the rainbow, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harper-lee/the-one-place-where-a-man-ought-to-get-a-square-deal-is-in-a/) [Harper Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harper-lee/) > [“Let’s be clear: Every day, all day they sit in a jury box—judging themselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheenah-hankin/let-s-be-clear-every-day-all-day-they-sit-in-a-jury-box-judging/) [Sheenah Hankin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheenah-hankin/) > [“In my judgment, the woman is the equal of the man. She has all the rights I have and one more, and that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-g-ingersoll/in-my-judgment-the-woman-is-the-equal-of-the-man-she-has-all-the/) [Robert G. Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-g-ingersoll/) > [Woman is born free and lives equal to man in her rights. Social distinctions can be based only on the common utility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olympe-de-gouges/woman-is-born-free-and-lives-equal-to-man-in-her-rights-social/) [Olympe de Gouges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olympe-de-gouges/) > [For the coming of that day shall I fight, I and my sons and my chosen friends. For the freedom of Man. For his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/for-the-coming-of-that-day-shall-i-fight-i-and-my-sons-and-my-chosen/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) ## More by Frederick Douglass > [“A treacherous President stood in the way; and it can be easily seen how reluctant good men might be to admit an apostasy which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/a-treacherous-president-stood-in-the-way-and-it-can-be-easily-seen/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [“But I should be false in the earliest sentiments of my soul, if I suppressed the opinion. I prefer to be true to myself,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/but-i-should-be-false-in-the-earliest-sentiments-of-my-soul-if-i/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [A man who will enslave his own blood, may not be safely relied on for magnamity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/a-man-who-will-enslave-his-own-blood-may-not-be-safely-relied-on-for/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [“I assert most unhesitatingly, that the religion of the south is a mere covering for the most horrid crimes, - a justifier of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-assert-most-unhesitatingly-that-the-religion-of-the-south-is-a-mere/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [I assert most unhesitatingly, that the religion of the South is a mere covering for the most horrid crimes—a justifier of the most appalling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-assert-most-unhesitatingly-that-the-religion-of-the-south-is-a-mere-2/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/the-limits-of-tyrants-are-prescribed-by-the-endurance-of-those-whom/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/power-concedes-nothing-without-a-demand-it-never-did-and-it-never-will/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [“We have all met a class of men, very remarkable for their activity, and who yet make but little headway in life; men who,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/we-have-all-met-a-class-of-men-very-remarkable-for-their-activity-and/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [“The fatal poison of irresponsible power was already in her hands, and soon commenced its infernal work. That cheerful eye, under the influence of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/the-fatal-poison-of-irresponsible-power-was-already-in-her-hands-and/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [A battle lost or won is easily described, understood, and appreciated, but the moral growth of a great nation requires reflection, as well as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/a-battle-lost-or-won-is-easily-described-understood-and-appreciated/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [Knowledge makes a man unfit to be a slave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/knowledge-makes-a-man-unfit-to-be-a-slave/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [I was broken in body, soul, and spirit. My natural elasticity was crushed, my intellect languished, the disposition to read departed, the cheerful spark…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-was-broken-in-body-soul-and-spirit-my-natural-elasticity-was/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, that whenever my condition was improved, instead of increasing my contentment; it only increased my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my-2/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [At a time like this, scorching irony, not convincing argument, is needed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/at-a-time-like-this-scorching-irony-not-convincing-argument-is-needed/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) [Explore all 348 Frederick Douglass quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) ## More Ballots quotes > [ The best way to marginalize the Muslim Brotherhood \[in Egypt\] is in the ballot box, not through arrests and killing people. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-ayotte/the-best-way-to-marginalize-the-muslim-brotherhood-in-egypt-is-in-the/) [Kelly Ayotte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-ayotte/) > [Whether you are buying a car or casting a ballot, choosing a job or planning a family, follow your moral compass. 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Most of its members are not white.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/the-family-of-man-is-more-than-3-billion-strong-it-lives-in-more-than/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [Barack Obama thinks he's universally loved and adored because of that approval rating, which is a lie or a misrepresentation. It's mainly people that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/barack-obama-thinks-he-s-universally-loved-and-adored-because-of-that/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [Exxon, Coca-Cola, BHP Billiton and News Corporation have much more say in organising the global agenda than the planet's 5 billion mature-age voters without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-brown/exxon-coca-cola-bhp-billiton-and-news-corporation-have-much-more-say/) [Bob Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-brown/) > [Unless they can pass the same test that immigrants must pass to become citizens, people shouldnt be allowed to vote. The idea that there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charley-reese/unless-they-can-pass-the-same-test-that-immigrants-must-pass-to/) [Charley Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charley-reese/) > [It’ll be the ballot or it’ll be the bullet. It’ll be liberty or it’ll be death. 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