Learned Hand's "Spirit of Liberty" (1944)

I Am An American Day was first designated by Congress in 1940 to be celebrated on the third Sunday of May, but was later moved in 1952 to September 17 and renamed Constitution Day and Citizenship Day. Learned Hand's "Spirit of Liberty" speech was delivered on May 21, 1944 at an event in New York City's Central Park. With the world still in the middle of a war, the speech reaffirmed the country's faith that freedom is worth fighting for. The overall tone is uplifting. It starts by recognizing the physical gathering of the audience, and ends by uniting everyone in a recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. conviction
    an unshakable belief in something without need for proof
    We have gathered here to affirm a faith, a faith in a common purpose, a common conviction, a common devotion.
  2. oppression
    the state of being kept down by unjust use of authority
    We sought liberty--freedom from oppression, freedom from want, freedom to be ourselves.
  3. ruthless
    without mercy or pity
    And what is this liberty which must lie in the hearts of men and women? It is not the ruthless, the unbridled will
  4. unbridled
    not restrained or controlled
    It is not the ruthless, the unbridled will; it is not freedom to do as one likes.
  5. denial
    the act of refusing to comply, as with a request
    That is the denial of liberty, and leads straight to its overthrow.
  6. sorrow
    an emotion of great sadness associated with loss
    A society in which men recognize no check upon their freedom soon becomes a society where freedom is the possession of only a savage few--as we have learned to our sorrow.
  7. bias
    a partiality preventing objective consideration of an issue
    the spirit of liberty is the spirit which weighs their interest alongside its own without bias
  8. unheeded
    disregarded
    the spirit of liberty remembers that not even a sparrow falls to earth unheeded
  9. conscience
    motivation deriving from ethical or moral principles
    And now in that spirit, that spirit of an American which has never been, and which may never be--nay, which never will be except as the conscience and courage of Americans create it
  10. aspiration
    a cherished desire
    yet in the spirit of America which lies hidden in some form in the aspirations of us all
  11. prosperous
    very lively and profitable
    in the spirit of that America for which our young men are at this moment fighting and dying; in that spirit of liberty and of America so prosperous, and safe, and contented
  12. truant
    someone who shirks duty
    we shall have failed to grasp its meaning, and shall have been truant to its promise
  13. strive
    exert much effort or energy
    except as we strive to make it a signal, a beacon, a standard to which the best hopes of mankind will ever turn
  14. confidence
    belief in yourself and your abilities
    In confidence that you share that belief, I now ask you to raise you hand and repeat with me this pledge
  15. indivisible
    impossible to split into parts
    I pledge allegiance to the flag and to the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands--One nation, Indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
Created on Fri Mar 21 17:00:38 EDT 2014 (updated Wed Mar 26 16:03:19 EDT 2014)

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