--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I know this well, that if one thousand…" description: "\"I know this well, that if one thousand, if one hundred, if ten men whom I could name,--if ten honest men only,--ay, if one HONESTman, in this State of ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/792/henry-david-thoreau-20_abolition_i-know-this-well-that-if-one-thousand-if_373229.jpg" --- # I know this well, that if one thousand, if one hundred, if… ![“I know this well, that if one thousand, if one hundred, if ten men whom I could name,--if ten honest men only,--ay, if one HONESTman, in this State of Massachusetts, ceasing to hold slaves, were actually to withdraw from this copartnership, and be locked up in the county jail therefor, it would be…” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/792/henry-david-thoreau-20_abolition_i-know-this-well-that-if-one-thousand-if_373229.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/792/henry-david-thoreau-20_abolition_i-know-this-well-that-if-one-thousand-if_373229.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/792/henry-david-thoreau-20_abolition_i-know-this-well-that-if-one-thousand-if_373229.jpg) > “I know this well, that if one thousand, if one hundred, if ten men whom I could name,--if ten honest men only,--ay, if one HONESTman, in this State of Massachusetts, ceasing to hold slaves, were actually to withdraw from this copartnership, and be locked up in the county jail therefor, it would be the abolition of slavery in America. For it matters not how small the beginning may seem to be: what is once well done is done forever.” [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A single honest individual's refusal to support an unjust system can trigger widespread change, even if the act seems minor. **In simple terms:** One honest person can end slavery. Key Takeaway Act with integrity, even if alone. Themes justice individualism social change morality civil disobedience Mood determined inspirational reflective Type philosophical political When to use this quote - activism - legal reform - community organizing - public protest Key Concepts ethical responsibility collective impact moral courage Questions to Reflect On - What small act of integrity can you take today? - How can one person's stance influence broader society? A Different Perspective Change often depends on collective action beyond a single act. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abolition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abolition/) [Abolition of slavery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abolition-of-slavery/) [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Civil disobedience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-disobedience/) [Disobedience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disobedience/) [Honest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honest/) [Jail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jail/) [Massachusetts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/massachusetts/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Slave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slave/) [Slavery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slavery/) [Slavery in america](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slavery-in-america/) ## Related quotes > [Once slavery in America was not seen as radical. It became, instead, a revolutionary idea that slaves should be freed. When we have lived…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerry-spence/once-slavery-in-america-was-not-seen-as-radical-it-became-instead-a/) [Gerry Spence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerry-spence/) > [Slavery in America was perpetuated not merely by human badness but also by human blindness. ... Men convinced themselves that a system that was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/slavery-in-america-was-perpetuated-not-merely-by-human-badness-but/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [“We see now a complex web of historical threads to ensnare blacks for slavery in America: the desperation of starving settlers, the special helplessness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-zinn/we-see-now-a-complex-web-of-historical-threads-to-ensnare-blacks-for/) [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) > [“Before democracy, chattel slavery in America was born”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-alexander/before-democracy-chattel-slavery-in-america-was-born/) [Michelle Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-alexander/) > [Elimination of illiteracy is as serious an issue to our history as the abolition of slavery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/elimination-of-illiteracy-is-as-serious-an-issue-to-our-history-as/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [On this International Day for the Abolition of Slavery let us reaffirm the inherent dignity of all men, women and children. And let us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ban-ki-moon/on-this-international-day-for-the-abolition-of-slavery-let-us/) [Ban Ki-moon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ban-ki-moon/) > [“Slavery is such an atrocious debasement of human nature, that its very extirpation, if not performed with solicitous care, may sometimes open a source…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/slavery-is-such-an-atrocious-debasement-of-human-nature-that-its-very-2/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Among the expected glories of the Constitution, next to the abolition of Slavery was that of Rum.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-clymer/among-the-expected-glories-of-the-constitution-next-to-the-abolition/) George Clymer > [Human beings are not property. On the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, let us reaffirm the inherent dignity of all men, women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/human-beings-are-not-property-on-the-international-day-for-the/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [There is no justification for the common claim that Christianity was responsible for the abolition of slavery. The Negro slave trade - a far…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-e-knight/there-is-no-justification-for-the-common-claim-that-christianity-was/) [Margaret E. Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-e-knight/) > [“In 1866, Congress enforced the abolition of slavery by passing a Civil Rights Act, prohibiting actions that it deemed perpetuated the characteristics of slavery.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rothstein/in-1866-congress-enforced-the-abolition-of-slavery-by-passing-a-civil/) [Richard Rothstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rothstein/) > [“Aunt Hattie, when you wrote that book, I imagine you were thinking of something radical: the abolition of slavery itself. You were only one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roxana-robinson/aunt-hattie-when-you-wrote-that-book-i-imagine-you-were-thinking-of/) [Roxana Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roxana-robinson/) > [“The abolition of slavery, apart from preservation of the Union, was the most important result of our Civil War. But the transition was badly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-silverman/the-abolition-of-slavery-apart-from-preservation-of-the-union-was-the/) William Silverman > [I wish from my soul that the legislature of this State could see the policy of a gradual Abolition of Slavery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/i-wish-from-my-soul-that-the-legislature-of-this-state-could-see-the/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [Many thought that the abolition of slavery, the end of Jim Crow, and the legislative progress of the Civil Rights Era, among other watershed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/opal-tometi/many-thought-that-the-abolition-of-slavery-the-end-of-jim-crow-and/) [Opal Tometi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/opal-tometi/) ## More by Henry David Thoreau > [If ever I did a man any goodof course it was something exceptional and insignificant compared with the good or evil which I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-ever-i-did-a-man-any-goodof-course-it-was-something-exceptional/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/our-inventions-are-wont-to-be-pretty-toys-which-distract-our/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“Men say they know many things; But lo! they have taken wings, — The arts and sciences, And a thousand appliances; The wind that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/men-say-they-know-many-things-but-lo-they-have-taken-wings-the-arts/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I am not afraid of praise, for I have practiced it on myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-am-not-afraid-of-praise-for-i-have-practiced-it-on-myself/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“All voting is a sort of gaming, like checkers or back gammon, with a slight moral tinge to it, a playing with right and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/all-voting-is-a-sort-of-gaming-like-checkers-or-back-gammon-with-a/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“This spending of the best part of one's life earning money in order to enjoy a questionable liberty during the least valuable part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/this-spending-of-the-best-part-of-one-s-life-earning-money-in-order/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [As for doing good; that is one of the professions which is full. Moreover I have tried it fairly and, strange as it may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/as-for-doing-good-that-is-one-of-the-professions-which-is-full/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [A traveler who looks at things with an impartial eye may see what the oldest inhabitant has not observed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-traveler-who-looks-at-things-with-an-impartial-eye-may-see-what-the/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [In proportion as our inward life fails, we go more constantly and desperately to the post office. You may depend on it, that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/in-proportion-as-our-inward-life-fails-we-go-more-constantly-and/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I had three chairs in my house; one for solitude, two for friendship, three for society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-had-three-chairs-in-my-house-one-for-solitude-two-for-friendship/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The still youthful energies of the globe have only to be directed in their proper channel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-still-youthful-energies-of-the-globe-have-only-to-be-directed-in/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Concord's little arch does not span all our fate, nor is what transpires under it law for the universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/concord-s-little-arch-does-not-span-all-our-fate-nor-is-what/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The lumberers rarely trouble themselves to put out their fires, such is the dampness of the primitive forest; and this is one cause, no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-lumberers-rarely-trouble-themselves-to-put-out-their-fires-such/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“When he has obtained those things which are necessary to life, there is another alternative than to obtain the superfluities; and that is, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/when-he-has-obtained-those-things-which-are-necessary-to-life-there/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Wealth is measured by the level of experience in all aspects of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/wealth-is-measured-by-the-level-of-experience-in-all-aspects-of-life/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Explore all 3,376 Henry David Thoreau quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ## More Abolition quotes > [Unpleasant questions are being raised about Mother's Day. Is this day necessary? . . . Isn't it bad public policy? . . . No…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-baker/unpleasant-questions-are-being-raised-about-mother-s-day-is-this-day/) [Russell Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-baker/) > [Anarchism is a definite intellectual current in the life of our times, whose adherents advocate the abolition of economic monopolies and of all political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-rocker/anarchism-is-a-definite-intellectual-current-in-the-life-of-our-times/) [Rudolf Rocker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-rocker/) > [Anarchism as a political philosophy seeks to dissolve all forms of authority and power, and if possible, wishes their complete abolition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-marshall/anarchism-as-a-political-philosophy-seeks-to-dissolve-all-forms-of/) [Peter Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-marshall/) > [“I am aware that many object to the severity of my language; but is there not cause for severity? I will be as harsh…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lloyd-garrison/i-am-aware-that-many-object-to-the-severity-of-my-language-but-is/) [William Lloyd Garrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lloyd-garrison/) > [It seems like cloud cuckoo land. If anyone is suggesting that I would go to Parliament and suggest the abolition of the Pound Sterling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/it-seems-like-cloud-cuckoo-land-if-anyone-is-suggesting-that-i-would/) [Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/) > [We invite people working for peace to span generations and national boundaries, and gather together to communicate. Let us firmly join hands and foster…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iccho-itoh/we-invite-people-working-for-peace-to-span-generations-and-national/) [Iccho Itoh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iccho-itoh/) > [Insofar as we may at all claim that slavery has been abolished today, we owe its abolition to the practical consequences of science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/insofar-as-we-may-at-all-claim-that-slavery-has-been-abolished-today/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [ You have not been mistaken in supposing my views and feeling to be in favor of the abolition of war. Of my dispos\[i\]tion to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/you-have-not-been-mistaken-in-supposing-my-views-and-feeling-to-be-in/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [On this International Day for the Abolition of Slavery let us reaffirm the inherent dignity of all men, women and children. And let us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ban-ki-moon/on-this-international-day-for-the-abolition-of-slavery-let-us/) [Ban Ki-moon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ban-ki-moon/) > [Capitalism as a social order and as a creed is the expression of the belief in economic progress as leading toward the freedom and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-drucker/capitalism-as-a-social-order-and-as-a-creed-is-the-expression-of-the/) [Peter Drucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-drucker/) > [“What is, so to speak, the object of abolition? Not so much the abolition of prisons but the abolition of a society that could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-moten-and-stefano-harney/what-is-so-to-speak-the-object-of-abolition-not-so-much-the-abolition/) Fred Moten and Stefano Harney > [I can only say that there is not a man living who wishes more sincerely than I do, to see a plan adopted for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/i-can-only-say-that-there-is-not-a-man-living-who-wishes-more/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [As a long-termist, I acknowledge there are more pressing causes than the abolition of private property.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ash-sarkar/as-a-long-termist-i-acknowledge-there-are-more-pressing-causes-than/) [Ash Sarkar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ash-sarkar/) > [Colonization was the idea that once slavery ended African-Americans should be encouraged - or required, in some people's view - required to leave the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-foner/colonization-was-the-idea-that-once-slavery-ended-african-americans/) [Eric Foner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-foner/) > [I am for socialism, disarmament, and, ultimately, for abolishing the state itself... I seek the social ownership of property, the abolition of the propertied…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-nash-baldwin/i-am-for-socialism-disarmament-and-ultimately-for-abolishing-the/) [Roger Nash Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-nash-baldwin/) [Browse all 229 Abolition quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abolition/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I know this well, that if one thousand, if one hundred, if ten men whom I could name,--if ten honest men only,--ay, if one HONESTman, in this State of Massachusetts, ceasing to hold slaves, were actually to withdraw from this copartnership, and be locked up in the county jail therefor, it would be the abolition of slavery in America. 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