President's Day Top Quote Searches

With the National Holiday of President's Day, it is interesting to see which were the most popular for internet searches this week. It is expected that during this time of year, there will be an increase in the number of searches for presidential information. According to Yahoo! Buzz, the following listing are the top ten searches for presidential quotes.

1. Abraham Lincoln Quotes

2. Thomas Jefferson Quotes

3. Theodore Roosevelt Quotes

4. Ronald Reagan Quotes

5. George Washington Quotes

6. George Bush Quotes

7. JFK Quotes

8. John Adams Quotes

9. Calvin Coolidge Quotes

10. Franklin D. Roosevelt Quotes

Here is a sample of some of the quotations for these presidents.

Abraham Lincoln

"I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient for that day." Lincoln Observed: The Civil War Dispatches of Noah Brooks edited by Michael Burlingame (Baltimore, Johns Hopkins University Press, 1998), p. 210. (http://home.att.net/~rjnorton/Lincoln78.html)

Thomas Jefferson

"I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. " (http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Thomas_Jefferson)

Theodore Roosevelt


Among the most famous quote of any president is Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt, "Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far". The history is that quote is that during Teddy's term as Governor of NY State he fought with the party bosses, particulary Boss Tom Platt regarding a political appointment. Roosevelt held out, although the boss threatened, to "ruin" him. In the end the boss gave in.

According to Nathan Miller in his book "Theodor Roosevelt, A Life", page 337, "Looking back upon his handling of the incident, Roosevelt thought he 'never saw a bluff carried more resolutely through to the final limit.' And writing to a friend a few days later, he observed: 'I have always been fond of the West African proverb: "Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far." ' "