Black Quote by James Otis
“The colonists are by the law of nature free-born, as indeed all man are, white or black...It is a clear truth that those who every day barter away other men's liberty will soon care little for their own.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Colonial Assembly, 1764
Natural law grants freedom to all, yet exploitation erodes liberty for everyone.
In simple terms: Freedom is innate, but exploitation harms all.
Key Takeaway
Protect rights by resisting exploitation.
Themes
freedom
natural law
exploitation
Mood
determined
hopeful
Type
historical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- civil rights movements
- labor negotiations
- community organizing
Key Concepts
political philosophy
human rights
Questions to Reflect On
- How does exploitation affect the oppressor?
- What safeguards preserve liberty?
A Different Perspective
Power structures can resist change.
![“[Slave] trade ... is the most shocking violation of the law of nature, has a direct tendency to diminish ... liberty, and makes every dealer in it a tyrant, from the director of an African company to the petty chapman [peddler]… It is a clear truth, that those who every day barter away other men's…” quote by James Otis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/6fb/james-otis-16854_business_slave-trade-is-the-most-shocking-violati_2681531.jpg)
![“[A]s it must be admitted that the remedy under the Constitution lies where it has been marked out by the Constitution; and that no appeal can be consistently made from that remedy by those who were and still profess to be parties to it, but the appeal to the parties themselves having an authority…” quote by James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/803/james-madison-373_appeals_a-s-it-must-be-admitted-that-the-remedy_69293.jpg)
![“[The passage of the Sugar Act] set people a thinking, in six months, more than they had done in their whole lives before.” quote by James Otis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/7bf/james-otis-16854_american-revolution_the-passage-of-the-sugar-act-set-people_294963.jpg)
