--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What manner of men had lived in those…" description: "\"“What manner of men had lived in those days...who had so eagerly surrendered their sovereignty for a lie and a delusion? Why had they been so anxious t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fec/taylor-caldwell-4748_america_what-manner-of-men-had-lived-in-those-da_183267.png" --- # What manner of men had lived in those days...who had so… ![“What manner of men had lived in those days...who had so eagerly surrendered their sovereignty for a lie and a delusion? Why had they been so anxious to believe that the government could solve problems for them which had been pridefully solved, many times over, by their fathers? Had their…” quote by Taylor Caldwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fec/taylor-caldwell-4748_america_what-manner-of-men-had-lived-in-those-da_183267.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fec/taylor-caldwell-4748_america_what-manner-of-men-had-lived-in-those-da_183267.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fec/taylor-caldwell-4748_america_what-manner-of-men-had-lived-in-those-da_183267.png) > ““What manner of men had lived in those days...who had so eagerly surrendered their sovereignty for a lie and a delusion? Why had they been so anxious to believe that the government could solve problems for them which had been pridefully solved, many times over, by their fathers? Had their characters become so weak and debased, so craven and emasculated, that offers of government dole had become more important than their liberty and their humanity? Had they not know that power delegated to the government becomes the club of tyrants? They must have known. They had their own history to remember, and the history of five thousand years. Yet, they had willingly and knowingly, with all this knowledge, declared themselves unfit to manage their own affairs and had placed their lives, which belonged to God only, in the hands of sinister men who had long plotted to enslave them, by wars, by "directives," by "emergencies." In the name of the American people, the American people had been made captive.”” [Taylor Caldwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-caldwell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People surrender their freedom to government promises, forgetting historical lessons and allowing tyranny to grow. **In simple terms:** Citizens give up liberty for government aid, ignoring history. Key Takeaway Stay vigilant about personal freedom. Themes freedom government history tyranny Mood cautious serious Type political philosophical When to use this quote - elections - policy discussions - community activism - education programs Key Concepts civic responsibility critical thinking historical awareness Questions to Reflect On - What freedoms are you willing to trade? - How can societies preserve liberty? A Different Perspective Overreliance on authority can erode self‑governance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [American people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-people/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Thousand years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thousand-years/) [Tyranny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tyranny/) ## Related quotes > [“Our hearts are all prison walls when we hold people captive with chains of unforgiveness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ikechukwu-izuakor/our-hearts-are-all-prison-walls-when-we-hold-people-captive-with/) [Ikechukwu Izuakor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ikechukwu-izuakor/) > [Sovereignty should lie with the people of Scotland, not a Westminster Government we didn't vote for with the ability to overrule our laws.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/humza-yousaf/sovereignty-should-lie-with-the-people-of-scotland-not-a-westminster/) [Humza Yousaf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/humza-yousaf/) > [If we fight a war and win it with H-bombs, what history will remember is not the ideals we were fighting for, but the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-bethe/if-we-fight-a-war-and-win-it-with-h-bombs-what-history-will-remember/) [Hans Bethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-bethe/) > [History should remember Blair and Bush as the killers of children, or as the lying prime minister and president.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahathir-mohamad/history-should-remember-blair-and-bush-as-the-killers-of-children-or/) [Mahathir Mohamad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahathir-mohamad/) > [One day you will be made an history, if you're always remember your goals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/one-day-you-will-be-made-an-history-if-you-re-always-remember-your/) Mak\_786 > [Be a king sothat history remember you...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nevaan-kuthaliya/be-a-king-sothat-history-remember-you/) Nevaan Kuthaliya > [There can be no argument about the Lone Star State's significant contributions to American history, and we must remember the actions and the sacrifices…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mccaul/there-can-be-no-argument-about-the-lone-star-state-s-significant/) [Michael McCaul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mccaul/) > [That is the danger we now face. 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There is no home, no true freedom, no hope, no joy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-caldwell/there-is-no-solid-satisfaction-in-any-career-for-a-woman-like-myself/) [Taylor Caldwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-caldwell/) > [“On the day when you again allow abominable men to confiscate your freedom, your money, your lives, your private property, your manhood and your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-caldwell/on-the-day-when-you-again-allow-abominable-men-to-confiscate-your/) [Taylor Caldwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-caldwell/) > [No woman has ever been an authentic genius of the stature of men, but that does not enrage me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-caldwell/no-woman-has-ever-been-an-authentic-genius-of-the-stature-of-men-but/) [Taylor Caldwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-caldwell/) > [Even the most malignant gods would not continue to inflict life upon humanity, time without end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-caldwell/even-the-most-malignant-gods-would-not-continue-to-inflict-life-upon/) [Taylor Caldwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-caldwell/) > [I am a Westerner of Westerners!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-caldwell/i-am-a-westerner-of-westerners/) [Taylor Caldwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-caldwell/) [Explore all 105 Taylor Caldwell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-caldwell/) ## 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? 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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. 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Had their characters become so weak and debased, so craven and emasculated, that offers of government dole had become more important than their liberty and their humanity? Had they not know that power delegated to the government becomes the club of tyrants? They must have known. They had their own history to remember, and the history of five thousand years. 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