Liberty or death facts for kids

Liberty or death or Independence or death are powerful phrases. They mean that people are willing to fight and even die to be free or to gain independence for their country. These slogans have been used throughout history by groups and nations seeking freedom from control by others.

What Do These Slogans Mean?

These phrases show a strong belief in freedom. They are often used when people are fighting for their rights or for their country's independence. It means they value freedom more than anything else, even their own lives.

Famous Slogans and Mottos

Many countries and groups have used "Liberty or Death" or "Independence or Death" as their rallying cry. Here are some examples:

Greece's National Motto

• The national motto of Greece is Eleftheria i thanatos, which means 'Freedom or Death'. This motto came from their fight for independence from the Ottoman Empire in the 1820s.

Patrick Henry's Famous Words

• In 1775, during the American Revolution, Patrick Henry, an American orator, famously said, "Give me liberty, or give me death!" He said this to encourage the American colonies to fight for their freedom from British rule.
• The Culpeper Minutemen, a group of American soldiers during the revolution, even had "Liberty or death" written on their flag.

Brazil's Cry for Independence

• The Empire of Brazil (1822–1889) used the motto Independência ou morte ('Independence or Death'). This phrase was declared by Prince Pedro when Brazil gained its independence from Portugal in 1822.

Uruguay's National Motto

• The national motto of Uruguay is Libertad o Muerte ('Freedom or Death'). This shows the country's strong history of fighting for its independence.

Slogans in National Anthems

• The national anthem of Romania includes the shout Viața-n libertate ori moarte! ('Life in freedom or death!'). This shows the importance of freedom in their national spirit.

Bulgarian Revolutionaries

• Svoboda ili smart ('Freedom or Death') was a slogan used by early Bulgarian revolutionaries. They fought for Bulgaria's freedom from Ottoman rule.

Turkey's Independence Motto

• Ya istiklâl ya ölüm ('Either independence or death') is a national motto of Turkey. It was a key slogan during the Turkish War of Independence (1919–1922).

Indonesian National Revolution

• During the Indonesian National Revolution, a leader named Bung Tomo used the powerful slogan Merdeka atau Mati! ('Independence or Death!'). This inspired many to fight for Indonesia's independence from Dutch colonial rule.

Ukraine's Motto

• Volia abo smert ('Freedom or Death') is a motto used in Ukraine. It reflects the country's ongoing struggle for freedom and self-determination.

Other Uses of the Phrase

The idea of "Liberty or Death" has also appeared in art and literature:

Famous Painting

• The painting Independence or Death by Pedro Américo (1888) shows the moment Brazil's Prince Pedro declared independence. It is a very famous artwork in Brazil.

A Play by Friedrich Schiller

• In the play The Robbers (Die Räuber) by Friedrich Schiller, a German writer, there is a quotation "Tod oder Freiheit" which means 'Death or Liberty'. This shows how important freedom was even in older stories.

Emmeline Pankhurst's Speech

• In 1913, the English feminist Emmeline Pankhurst gave a famous speech titled Freedom or Death. She was a leader in the movement for women's right to vote. Her speech highlighted the extreme measures women were willing to take for their rights.

Images for kids

See also

In Spanish: Libertad o Muerte para niños

• Give Me Liberty (disambiguation)
• List of national mottos
• Captain Michalis, or Freedom or Death, a 1953 novel by Nikos Kazantzakis
• Liberté, égalité, fraternité, the national motto of France and the Republic of Haiti
• Live Free or Die, the state motto of New Hampshire, U.S.
• Join, or Die
• Samuel Sharpe, an enslaved Jamaican, who said "I would rather die among yonder gallows, than live in slavery."