FA
Fisher Ames
33quotes
Fisher Ames: A Founding Father's Unwavering Commitment to American Values
Full Name and Common Aliases
Fisher Ames was born on December 9, 1758, in Newburyport, Massachusetts. He is often referred to as a Founding Father of the United States.
Birth and Death Dates
Born: December 9, 1758
Died: April 4, 1808
Nationality and Profession(s)
Fisher Ames was an American statesman, lawyer, and writer who served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts.
Early Life and Background
Growing up in Newburyport, Massachusetts, Fisher Ames was raised by his parents, Nathaniel and Mary (née Foster) Ames. His father, a successful merchant and shipowner, provided for his family's needs and instilled in young Fisher the importance of education and hard work. Ames attended local schools before enrolling at Harvard College in 1774, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1780.
Major Accomplishments
As a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Fisher Ames was instrumental in shaping American policy during the early years of the Republic. He served six terms from 1789 to 1797 and again from 1803 to 1808. During this time, he:
Supported the Constitution and advocated for its ratification
Played a key role in drafting the Alien and Sedition Acts
Opposed the Federalist Party's policies, particularly those related to taxationNotable Works or Actions
Fisher Ames was an accomplished writer and pamphleteer. Some of his notable works include:
"The Address to the People of the State of New-York," in which he argued against the Alien and Sedition Acts
* "A Plan of a Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Agriculture, and Manufactures," a proposal aimed at promoting American industry
Impact and Legacy
Fisher Ames' commitment to American values and his unwavering dedication to the principles of liberty and justice have left an enduring legacy. His contributions to the early years of the United States Republic continue to inspire Americans today.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
Fisher Ames is widely quoted for his insightful writings on government, politics, and American identity. His quotes often reflect a deep understanding of human nature and the importance of civic engagement:
> "In this world there are no secrets; all is laid open before our eyes... The whole universe is governed by one great law: that of cause and effect."
His legacy serves as a reminder to future generations of the significance of standing up for what is right, even in the face of adversity.
As we reflect on the life and work of Fisher Ames, it becomes clear why he remains such an important figure in American history.
Quotes by Fisher Ames
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The known propensity of a democracy is to licentiousness which the ambitious call, and the ignorant believe to be liberty.
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Should not the Bible regain the place it once held as a schoolbook? Its morals are pure, its examples are captivating and noble....In no Book is there so good English, so pure and so elegant, and by teaching all the same they will speak alike, and the Bible will justly remain the standard of language as well as of faith.
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We have a dangerous trend beginning to take place in our education. We're starting to put more and more textbooks into our schools. We've become accustomed of late of putting little books into the hands of children, containing fables and moral lessons. We're spending less time in the classroom on the Bible, which should be the principal text in our schools. The Bible states these great moral lessons better than any other man-made book.
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The people as a body cannot deliberate. Nevertheless, they will feel an irresistible impulse to act, and their resolutions will be dictated to them by their demagogues... and the violent men, who are the most forward to gratify those passions, will be their favorites. What is called the government of the people is in fact too often the arbitrary power of such men. Here, then, we have the faithful portrait of democracy.
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The happiness of a people, and the good order and preservation of civil government, essentially depend on piety, religion, and morality.
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Liberty is not to be enjoyed, indeed it cannot exist, without the habits of just subordination; it consists, not so much in removing all restraint from the orderly, as in imposing it on the violent.
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Our liberty depends on our education, our laws, and habits . . . it is founded on morals and religion, whose authority reigns in the heart, and on the influence all these produce on public opinion before that opinion governs rulers.
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No man can be a sound lawyer in this land who is not well read in the ethics of Moses and the virtues of Jesus.
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A large portion of our citizens, who will not believe, even on the evidence of facts, that any public evils exist, or are impending. They deride the apprehensions of those who foresee, that licentiousness will prove, as it ever has proved, fatal to liberty.
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