Live Free or Die
" Live Free or Die " (German: "Live free or die") has been the official motto of the US state of New Hampshire since 1945 . It is probably the best-known motto of a US state , on the one hand because of the historical roots of the idea of freedom and independence in the United States , and on the other hand because of the clear choice of words compared to the otherwise more moderate mottos of the states.
The originator of the formulation was General John Stark , the most famous soldier in New Hampshire during the American Revolutionary War . Unable to attend a memorial service for the Battle of Bennington due to illness at the old age of 81 , he sent a letter to his comrades on July 31, 1809, which concluded with the words: “Live free or die. Death is not the worst evil. "
Similar mottos
One possible source of this motto is Patrick Henry's famous speech of March 23, 1775 in the House of Commons of the Virginia government . It contains the wording: “Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death! "(German:" Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, than buying it at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid, Almighty God! I don't know what price others want to pay, but as far as I'm concerned, give it to me Freedom or give me death! ")
During the siege of Barcelona (1713) the defenders of Barcelona used black flags and the Catalan motto “Viurem lliures o morirem” (German: “Live free or die”), which is still the motto of the Catalan autonomy movement today.
Other uses
Historical
On January 1, 1804, Jean-Jacques Dessalines proclaimed the independence and freedom of the French slave colony of Saint-Domingue , now Haiti . While tearing up the white part of a French tricolor, he is said to have shouted “Vivre libre ou mourir!”, Which corresponds to “Live free or die”.
The phrase "Vivre Libre ou Mourir" ("Live or die free") was also used in the French Revolution . It was the subtitle of the magazine that was written by Camille Desmoulins in the winter of 1793-94 and was entitled Le Vieux Cordelier .
In poetry
- ... death rather than living in bondage is part of the Rütli oath in the drama Wilhelm Tell (1804) by Friedrich Schiller .
- In the ballad Pidder Lüng by the German poet Detlev von Liliencron about the fisherman of the same name from Sylt, the saying Liewer düd aß Slaawe (Dear dead as a slave) ends every line of a verse in the spelling “Lewwer duad üs Slaav”. In the poem The Frisian Home of the East Frisian Harbert Harberts , the saying is mentioned as Lever dood as slav .
In pop culture
- The first episode of the fifth season of Breaking Bad is entitled "Live Free or Die".
- The English-language original title of the sixth episode of the sixth season of the television series The Sopranos is "Live Free or Die".
- The motto of the apathetic planet "Neutral", which appears several times in the television series Futurama , is "Live free or don't".
- The original English title of Die Hard 4.0 is "Live Free or Die Hard".
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Gencourt.state.nh.us . Retrieved November 20, 2013.
- ↑ Amy Kukla, Kukla, Jon: Patrick Henry: Voice of the Revolution . PowerPlus Books, 2002, ISBN 0-8239-5725-X , pp. 45-46.
- ^ Robinson, Randall, "An Unbroken Agony," 2007, Basic Civitas Books.
- ↑ Dorestant, Noe, “A Look at Haitian History 1803-2003 200 Years of Independence,” Heritage Konpa Magazine, Special Independence Edition, 2001.
- ↑ Schama, Simon , "Citizens: A Chronicle of the French Revolution," 1989, Vintage Books, pg 557.
- ^ Text Pidder Lüng
- ↑ Text Die Frisische Heimat at mumag.de , accessed on June 5, 2016