Fact Check: George Washington Said, 'If Freedom of Speech Is Taken Away, Then Dumb and Silent We May Be Led'?

Claim:

George Washington once said, "If freedom of speech is taken away, then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter."

Rating:

Correct Attribution ( About this rating? )

Context:

The version of the quote that widely circulated online was shortened and simplified, but it accurately preserved the meaning of Washington's original words as delivered in a March 15, 1783, speech.

For years, internet users have shared a quote attributed to George Washington, the first president of the United States, reading: "If freedom of speech is taken away, then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter."

The quote has appeared on multiple quote meme sites, as well as in posts on Facebook ( archived ), LinkedIn ( archived ), and other social media platforms.

For example, on Aug. 26, 2024, X CEO Linda Yaccarino made an X post ( archived ) featuring the quote. That post had received around 70,700 likes and 16,000 reposts at the time of this writing.

Some internet users have expressed doubt over the quote's authenticity. One commenter on a March 2023 Reddit post ( archived ) featuring a meme of the quote said: " My spidy [sic] sense tells me that George never said that." Similarly, responding to a post ( archived ) from 2020 that featured the same meme, another Reddit user said: "What is the source of this quote?"

These Reddit users had good reason to be skeptical. Washington has been incorrectly named as the author of numerous quotes, several of which Snopes has investigated previously.

In this case, however, the words could be securely traced back to Washington — for the most part. The quote was a simplified and shortened version of a longer quote Washington delivered as part of a speech he gave on March 15, 1783.

Sometimes referred to as the "Newburgh Address" because Washington delivered it in Newburgh, New York, the speech was written to bolster the spirits of Continental Army officers who had begun to threaten revolt, largely due to lack of pay.

The full text of the speech has been made available online by multiple reputable sources, including the National Archives' Founders Online project and the National Constitution Center . A digitized version of a copy of the speech in Washington's own handwriting is also available through the online collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society, where it can be viewed side-by-side with a transcription of the text.

The full quote, as it appeared on the bottom of page 7 and the top of page 8 in that handwritten version, can be seen surrounded by a red box below.

(Massachusetts Historical Society)

Transcribed into type, the full quote read:

With respect to the advice given by the Author—to suspect the Man, who shall recommend moderate measures and longer forbearance—I spurn it—as every Man, who regards that liberty, & reveres that Justice for which we contend, undoubtedly must—for if Men are to be precluded from offering their sentiments on a matter, which may involve the most serious and alarming consequences, that can invite the consideration of Mankind; reason is of no use to us—the freedom of Speech may be taken away—and, dumb & silent we may be led, like sheep, to the Slaughter.

The version of the quote that has circulated widely online omitted or paraphrased most of Washington's words, leaving only the final clause intact (aside from minor changes modernizing Washington's capitalization and punctuation). However, these changes did not appreciably alter the meaning of the quote.

Because the popular abridged version faithfully preserved the meaning of the full quote, if not all of its exact wording, we have rated this claim as "Correct Attribution."

Sources:

Evon, Dan. "Did George Washington Say This About Citizens' Right to Bear Arms?" Snopes, 22 Jan. 2020, https://www.snopes.com//fact-check/george-washington-arms-quote/ .

Founders Online: From George Washington to Officers of the Army, 15 March 1783. http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/99-01-02-10840 . Accessed 3 Sept. 2024.

Kasprak, Alex. "Did George Washington Say, 'It Is Better To Be Alone Than In Bad Company'?" Snopes, 29 Nov. 2022, https://www.snopes.com//fact-check/washington-to-be-alone/ .

"Newburgh Address (1783) | Constitution Center." National Constitution Center – Constitutioncenter.Org, https://constitutioncenter.org/the-constitution/historic-document-library/detail/george-washington-newburgh-address-1783 . Accessed 3 Sept. 2024.

Palma, Bethania. "Did George Washington Say 'Firearms Stand Next in Importance to the Constitution Itself'?" Snopes, 26 Apr. 2019, https://www.snopes.com//fact-check/george-washington-firearms/ .

Washington, George. Newburgh Address, 15 March 1783. Massachusetts Historical Society Collections Online, https://www.masshist.org/database/viewer.php?item_id=1742.