--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: America has not been a story or a byword…" description: "\"America has not been a story or a byword. That small community of Pilgrims prospered and, driven by the dreams and, yes, by the ideas of the Founding F..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/858/ronald-reagan-119_america_america-has-not-been-a-story-or-a-byword_1331192.jpg" --- # America has not been a story or a byword. That small… ![“America has not been a story or a byword. That small community of Pilgrims prospered and, driven by the dreams and, yes, by the ideas of the Founding Fathers, went on to become a beacon to all the oppressed and poor of the world.” quote by Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/858/ronald-reagan-119_america_america-has-not-been-a-story-or-a-byword_1331192.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/858/ronald-reagan-119_america_america-has-not-been-a-story-or-a-byword_1331192.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/858/ronald-reagan-119_america_america-has-not-been-a-story-or-a-byword_1331192.jpg) > “America has not been a story or a byword. That small community of Pilgrims prospered and, driven by the dreams and, yes, by the ideas of the Founding Fathers, went on to become a beacon to all the oppressed and poor of the world.” [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. America's founding ideals inspire hope for the oppressed worldwide. **In simple terms:** Founding ideals inspire global hope. Key Takeaway Uphold founding values for all. Themes freedom hope leadership Mood optimistic determined Type political inspirational When to use this quote - foreign policy - civil rights movements - education reform Key Concepts political philosophy democracy human rights Questions to Reflect On - How can ideals be applied today? - What responsibilities accompany leadership? A Different Perspective Idealism can overlook practical challenges. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Beacons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beacons/) [Community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community/) [Dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) [Driven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/driven/) [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Founding fathers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/founding-fathers/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Oppressed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oppressed/) [Pilgrim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pilgrim/) [Pilgrims](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pilgrims/) [Small communities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/small-communities/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [America's story is largely an immigrant story. That hasn't changed since the Pilgrims ate their first turkey some four hundred years ago, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lam/america-s-story-is-largely-an-immigrant-story-that-hasn-t-changed/) [Andrew Lam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lam/) > [Islam has always been a part of America's story...and since our founding, American Muslims have enriched the United States.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/islam-has-always-been-a-part-of-america-s-story-and-since-our/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [America is the story of everyday people who did extraordinary things. A story woven deep into the fabric of our society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/america-is-the-story-of-everyday-people-who-did-extraordinary-things/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [Fellow Americans, our duty is before us tonight. Let us go forward, determined to serve selflessly a vision of man with God, government for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/fellow-americans-our-duty-is-before-us-tonight-let-us-go-forward/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Freedom is the very essence of our nation. To be sure, ours is not a perfect nation. But even with our troubles, we remain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/freedom-is-the-very-essence-of-our-nation-to-be-sure-ours-is-not-a/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [And how stands the city on this winter night? More prosperous, more secure, and happier than it was 8 years ago. But more than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/and-how-stands-the-city-on-this-winter-night-more-prosperous-more/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Today, the United States stands as a beacon of liberty and democratic strength before the community of nations. We are resolved to stand firm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-united-states-stands-as-a-beacon-of-liberty-and-democratic/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The man who lives in a small community lives in a much larger world... The reason is obvious. In a large community we can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/the-man-who-lives-in-a-small-community-lives-in-a-much-larger-world/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [ I think one of the most important investments an organization like TNC \[The Nature Conservancy\] can make is in helping build local capacity -… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-norton/i-think-one-of-the-most-important-investments-an-organization-like/) [Edward Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-norton/) > [You go to a lot of small communities in rural Alberta and you'll find a degree of diversity that probably hasn't existed in terms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-kenney/you-go-to-a-lot-of-small-communities-in-rural-alberta-and-you-ll-find/) [Jason Kenney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-kenney/) > [For every good person that comes from Brooklyn or the Bronx, there are some bad people who bring their more criminal-intensive ways to small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-sliwa/for-every-good-person-that-comes-from-brooklyn-or-the-bronx-there-are/) [Curtis Sliwa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-sliwa/) > [It's always a fascinating subject - a serial killer let loose on a small community. It always holds, it's always scary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-mcdowell/it-s-always-a-fascinating-subject-a-serial-killer-let-loose-on-a/) [Malcolm McDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-mcdowell/) > [“Many people in this room have an Etsy store where they create unique, unreplicable artifacts or useful items to be sold on a small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/many-people-in-this-room-have-an-etsy-store-where-they-create-unique/) [Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/) > [Most conservatives just want to turn back the clock to a time before the income tax - 100 years or so. I would like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-seeger/most-conservatives-just-want-to-turn-back-the-clock-to-a-time-before/) [Pete Seeger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-seeger/) > [Write what you know. Every guide for the aspiring author advises this. Because I live in a long-settled rural place, I know certain things.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geraldine-brooks/write-what-you-know-every-guide-for-the-aspiring-author-advises-this/) [Geraldine Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geraldine-brooks/) ## More by Ronald Reagan > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [I've long believed one of the mainsprings of our own liberty has been the widespread ownership of property among our people and the expectation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-ve-long-believed-one-of-the-mainsprings-of-our-own-liberty-has-been/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [You know, by the time you reach my age, you've made plenty of mistakes if you've lived your life properly. So you learn. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/you-know-by-the-time-you-reach-my-age-you-ve-made-plenty-of-mistakes/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Yes, across Europe, this wall will fall. For it cannot withstand faith; it cannot withstand truth. The wall cannot withstand freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/yes-across-europe-this-wall-will-fall-for-it-cannot-withstand-faith/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Simple fairness dictates that government must not raise taxes on families struggling to pay their bills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/simple-fairness-dictates-that-government-must-not-raise-taxes-on/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The time has come to turn to God and reassert our trust in Him for the healing of America - our country is in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/the-time-has-come-to-turn-to-god-and-reassert-our-trust-in-him-for/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Professional politicians like to talk about the value of experience in government. Nuts! The only experience you gain in politics is how to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/professional-politicians-like-to-talk-about-the-value-of-experience/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The WPA was one of the most productive elements of FDR's alphabet soup of agencies because it put people to work building roads, bridges,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/the-wpa-was-one-of-the-most-productive-elements-of-fdr-s-alphabet/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Where there's liberty, art succeeds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/where-there-s-liberty-art-succeeds/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Since I came to the White House, I got two hearing aids, a colon operation, skin cancer, a prostate operation, and I was shot.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/since-i-came-to-the-white-house-i-got-two-hearing-aids-a-colon/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [A moment I've been dreading. George brought his ne're-do-well son around this morning and asked me to find the kid a job. Not the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/a-moment-i-ve-been-dreading-george-brought-his-ne-re-do-well-son/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [On Father's Day, we pay tribute to all in our society who have taken on the responsibilitie s and joys of fatherhood. Whether our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/on-father-s-day-we-pay-tribute-to-all-in-our-society-who-have-taken/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [There is no limit to the amount of good you can do if you don't care who gets the credit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/there-is-no-limit-to-the-amount-of-good-you-can-do-if-you-don-t-care/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [It's not that liberals aren't smart, it's just that so much of what they know isn't so](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/it-s-not-that-liberals-aren-t-smart-it-s-just-that-so-much-of-what/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Love your country, not for her power or wealth, but for her selflessness and her idealism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/love-your-country-not-for-her-power-or-wealth-but-for-her/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) [Explore all 1,244 Ronald Reagan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) ## More America quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [So here's what I want you to know, and here's what I want all our men and women in uniform to know: Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/so-here-s-what-i-want-you-to-know-and-here-s-what-i-want-all-our-men/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Today, the world looks to America for leadership. And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [ I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? Thank you America. \[salutes\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumors-i-ll-die-deal-thank-you/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I'm gonna bring America together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-m-gonna-bring-america-together/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. Remember, under a Trump administration it's called America first. Remember that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-need-a-system-that-serves-our-needs-not-the-needs-of-others/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [You live overseas, you see these exotic places and you want to know about them. But, weirdly, it also made me homesick for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-jennings/you-live-overseas-you-see-these-exotic-places-and-you-want-to-know/) [Ken Jennings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-jennings/) > [Freedom in every sense but primarily political sense, a rise in repression that stems from a repression of sexuality. It's AIDS, it's herpes, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/freedom-in-every-sense-but-primarily-political-sense-a-rise-in/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/) [Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/) [Browse all 20,382 America quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "America has not been a story or a byword. That small community of Pilgrims prospered and, driven by the dreams and, yes, by the ideas of the Founding Fathers, went on to become a beacon to all the oppressed and poor of the world.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ronald Reagan" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/america-has-not-been-a-story-or-a-byword-that-small-community-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "America" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/america-has-not-been-a-story-or-a-byword-that-small-community-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/858/ronald-reagan-119_america_america-has-not-been-a-story-or-a-byword_1331192.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/858/ronald-reagan-119_america_america-has-not-been-a-story-or-a-byword_1331192.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/858/ronald-reagan-119_america_america-has-not-been-a-story-or-a-byword_1331192.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“America has not been a story or a byword. That small community of Pilgrims prospered and, driven by the…” — Ronald Reagan", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Ronald Reagan", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "America has not been a story...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/america-has-not-been-a-story-or-a-byword-that-small-community-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/america-has-not-been-a-story-or-a-byword-that-small-community-of/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```