“It is a quality of revolutions not to go by old lines or old laws, but to break up both and make new ones.”
- February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865
- American
- Politician, lawyer
- As the 16th President of the United States, he issued the Emancipation Proclamation and led the Civil War to maintain the unity of the nation.
Quote
“It is a quality of revolutions not to go by old lines or old laws, but to break up both and make new ones.”
Explanation
This quote speaks to the disruptive nature of revolutions and how they challenge existing systems. Revolutions, by their very nature, are driven by a desire for change, often because the existing laws or structures are seen as unjust, outdated, or oppressive. The quote highlights the idea that revolutions do not simply reform the old system; they seek to dismantle it and replace it with something radically different. In this way, revolutions are often about creating new frameworks for governance, justice, and society, rather than tweaking or improving what already exists.
Historically, this idea has been central to revolutions around the world, such as the American Revolution or the French Revolution, where the old systems of monarchy and colonial rule were replaced with new forms of government. In Lincoln’s context, the American Civil War could be seen as a kind of revolution, not just in terms of the conflict between the North and South, but also in the fundamental shift in the nation’s values and laws. The abolition of slavery, the preservation of the Union, and the eventual passage of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments all contributed to the reconstruction of the nation’s legal and social fabric.
In modern times, this quote can be interpreted as a reminder that radical change often requires breaking from the past. Whether in terms of political upheaval, social movements, or technological advances, revolutions of all kinds tend to bring about transformations in societal norms, laws, and practices that push beyond what was previously accepted. It emphasizes that progress often involves creating new systems rather than simply trying to fix the old ones, especially when those old systems are perceived as inadequate for the needs of a changing world.
