--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: All history was at first oral." description: "\"All history was at first oral.\" — Samuel Johnson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d1/samuel-johnson-50_firsts_all-history-was-at-first-oral-831039_831039.png" --- # All history was at first oral. ![“All history was at first oral.” quote by Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d1/samuel-johnson-50_firsts_all-history-was-at-first-oral-831039_831039.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d1/samuel-johnson-50_firsts_all-history-was-at-first-oral-831039_831039.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d1/samuel-johnson-50_firsts_all-history-was-at-first-oral-831039_831039.png) > “All history was at first oral.” [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Initially, history was transmitted orally before being recorded. **In simple terms:** History began as spoken word. Key Takeaway Preserve oral traditions. Themes history communication culture Mood academic reflective Type historical educational When to use this quote - education - cultural preservation - storytelling events - archival work Key Concepts anthropology memory studies Questions to Reflect On - How can oral histories be verified? - What value does oral tradition hold today? A Different Perspective Oral accounts can be unreliable. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) ## Related quotes > [Poetry carries its history within it, and it is oral in origin. Its transmission was oral.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fenton/poetry-carries-its-history-within-it-and-it-is-oral-in-origin-its-2/) [James Fenton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fenton/) > [“The facts of history have been too well rehearsed (I'm speaking needless to say not of written history but the oral kind that goes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ashbery/the-facts-of-history-have-been-too-well-rehearsed-i-m-speaking/) [John Ashbery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ashbery/) > [Deep down I knew that if Hell existed, it was a real place full of ruthless, venal people, like the commodity pits at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dooling/deep-down-i-knew-that-if-hell-existed-it-was-a-real-place-full-of/) [Richard Dooling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dooling/) > [There is probably no oral society that fails to mark the spatial distinction of left and right, peculiar as this distinction may be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-antin/there-is-probably-no-oral-society-that-fails-to-mark-the-spatial/) [David Antin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-antin/) > [Oral sex: the taste of things to come.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/oral-sex-the-taste-of-things-to-come/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [I grew up in a society with a very ancient and strong oral storytelling tradition. I was told stories, as a child, by my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khaled-hosseini/i-grew-up-in-a-society-with-a-very-ancient-and-strong-oral/) [Khaled Hosseini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khaled-hosseini/) > [I love oral hygiene.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eden-sher/i-love-oral-hygiene/) [Eden Sher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eden-sher/) > [“Ô, the wine of a woman from heaven is sent, more perfect than all that a man can invent.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-payne/the-wine-of-a-woman-from-heaven-is-sent-more-perfect-than-all-that-a/) [Roman Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-payne/) > [“That has never been the question. The question has never been to see, how to turn good luck into misfortune, but how to let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-hutton/that-has-never-been-the-question-the-question-has-never-been-to-see/) Ian Hutton > [Poetry carries its history within it, and it is oral in origin. Its transmission was oral. Its transmission today is still in part oral,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fenton/poetry-carries-its-history-within-it-and-it-is-oral-in-origin-its/) [James Fenton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fenton/) > [Twentieth century history of Christianity will name Oral Roberts as the voice that brought the Pentecostal movement to be taken seriously by mainline Christianity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-h-schuller/twentieth-century-history-of-christianity-will-name-oral-roberts-as/) [Robert H. Schuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-h-schuller/) > [My background is deep and set in deep time, and in a narrow space, oral traditions going back a long, long time, which I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-garner/my-background-is-deep-and-set-in-deep-time-and-in-a-narrow-space-oral/) [Alan Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-garner/) > [I want to tell you a terrific story about oral contraception. I asked this girl to sleep with me and she said 'No.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/i-want-to-tell-you-a-terrific-story-about-oral-contraception-i-asked/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [I am trying to inspire people to just take control of their oral health, because if we don't take care of our oral health,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherri-shepherd/i-am-trying-to-inspire-people-to-just-take-control-of-their-oral/) [Sherri Shepherd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherri-shepherd/) > [“I have a slight oral fixation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-james/i-have-a-slight-oral-fixation/) [Julie James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-james/) ## More by Samuel Johnson > [The size of a man's understanding might always be justly measured by his mirth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-size-of-a-man-s-understanding-might-always-be-justly-measured-by/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Pound St. Paul's Church into atoms, and consider any single atom; it is to be sure, good for nothing; but put all these atoms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/pound-st-paul-s-church-into-atoms-and-consider-any-single-atom-it-is/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [You can never be wise unless you love reading.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/you-can-never-be-wise-unless-you-love-reading/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [If our aim is to praise, we should forget to criticize; if our aim is to criticize, we should remember to praise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/if-our-aim-is-to-praise-we-should-forget-to-criticize-if-our-aim-is/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [All theory is against free will; all experience is for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/all-theory-is-against-free-will-all-experience-is-for-it/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Had I learned to fiddle, I should have done nothing else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/had-i-learned-to-fiddle-i-should-have-done-nothing-else/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [It is as foolish to make experiments upon the constancy of a friend, as upon the chastity of a wife.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/it-is-as-foolish-to-make-experiments-upon-the-constancy-of-a-friend/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Resolve not to be poor: whatever you have, spend less. Poverty is a great enemy to human happiness; it certainly destroys liberty, and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/resolve-not-to-be-poor-whatever-you-have-spend-less-poverty-is-a/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [The basis of all excellence is truth: he that professes love ought to feel its power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-basis-of-all-excellence-is-truth-he-that-professes-love-ought-to/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Words are daughters of earth but ideas are sons of heaven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/words-are-daughters-of-earth-but-ideas-are-sons-of-heaven/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [“The composition of Shakespeare is a forest, in which oaks extend in the air, interspersed sometimes with weeds and brambles, and sometimes giving shelting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-composition-of-shakespeare-is-a-forest-in-which-oaks-extend-in/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [“The cherubim were never intended as an object of worship, because they were only the appendices to another thing. But a thing is then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-cherubim-were-never-intended-as-an-object-of-worship-because-they/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Nobody has the right to put another under such a difficulty that he must either hurt the person by telling the truth or hurt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/nobody-has-the-right-to-put-another-under-such-a-difficulty-that-he/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [That kind of life is most happy which affords us most opportunities of gaining our own self-esteem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/that-kind-of-life-is-most-happy-which-affords-us-most-opportunities/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [The time will come to every human being when it must be known how well he can bear to die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-time-will-come-to-every-human-being-when-it-must-be-known-how/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) [Explore all 1,998 Samuel Johnson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) ## More Firsts quotes > [I always say there are two things to be successful. The first is decide exactly what you want - set your goals - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/i-always-say-there-are-two-things-to-be-successful-the-first-is/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [My first ever job after college was as a flight attendant. I wanted to travel and could not afford it, so I decided to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-winspear/my-first-ever-job-after-college-was-as-a-flight-attendant-i-wanted-to/) [Jacqueline Winspear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-winspear/) > [Since I worked with Danny Boyle before on Slumdog Millionaire, we have great success and everything. So, when I first got the script and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-r-rahman/since-i-worked-with-danny-boyle-before-on-slumdog-millionaire-we-have/) [A. R. Rahman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-r-rahman/) > [You sort of can't talk about the post production unless you talk about what comes first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-greengrass/you-sort-of-can-t-talk-about-the-post-production-unless-you-talk/) [Paul Greengrass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-greengrass/) > [I'm a business first and foremost so whatever my business is, it's separate from my personal. It's like whatever I do business wise, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/i-m-a-business-first-and-foremost-so-whatever-my-business-is-it-s/) [Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/) > [A man walks down the street. It's a street in a strange world. Maybe it's the third world. Maybe it's his first time around.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/a-man-walks-down-the-street-it-s-a-street-in-a-strange-world-maybe-it/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) > [I did not know that the planning for biological and chemical warfare was so widespread in England, and even in France before France fell.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholson-baker/i-did-not-know-that-the-planning-for-biological-and-chemical-warfare/) [Nicholson Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholson-baker/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [When I first started, my message was about joy, but I didn't really have the vocabulary and life experience to fully deliver it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-mraz/when-i-first-started-my-message-was-about-joy-but-i-didn-t-really/) [Jason Mraz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-mraz/) > [I'm very used to working with first time actors - you can just look back at 'E.T.' with Drew Barrymore, and Christian Bale from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/i-m-very-used-to-working-with-first-time-actors-you-can-just-look/) [Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/) > [I have lifted my plane . . . for perhaps a thousand flights and I have never felt her wheels glide from the Earth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beryl-markham/i-have-lifted-my-plane-for-perhaps-a-thousand-flights-and-i-have/) [Beryl Markham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beryl-markham/) > [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/) > [The U.S.-Mexican border es un herida abierta where the Third World grates against the first and bleeds. And before a scab forms it hemorrhages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-e-anzald-a/the-u-s-mexican-border-es-un-herida-abierta-where-the-third-world/) [Gloria E. Anzaldúa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-e-anzald-a/) > [Meanwhile someone is shining my head to get it dry to attach my top-hat to my head with toupee tape. I get into microphone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tituss-burgess/meanwhile-someone-is-shining-my-head-to-get-it-dry-to-attach-my-top/) [Tituss Burgess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tituss-burgess/) > [Peace is the first thing the angels sang. Peace is the mark of the children of God. Peace is the nurse of love. Peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-leo-i/peace-is-the-first-thing-the-angels-sang-peace-is-the-mark-of-the/) [Pope Leo I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-leo-i/) Browse all 32,432 Firsts quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "All history was at first oral.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Samuel Johnson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/all-history-was-at-first-oral/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Firsts" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/all-history-was-at-first-oral/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d1/samuel-johnson-50_firsts_all-history-was-at-first-oral-831039_831039.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d1/samuel-johnson-50_firsts_all-history-was-at-first-oral-831039_831039.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d1/samuel-johnson-50_firsts_all-history-was-at-first-oral-831039_831039.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“All history was at first oral.” — Samuel Johnson", "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": "Samuel Johnson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "All history was at first oral.", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/all-history-was-at-first-oral/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/all-history-was-at-first-oral/#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 } } ] } ```