You will find Sample Speech’s you can use for the installations of your Freedom Shrines in your local community.
Sample Speech 1
It was Patrick Henry who boldly said, “Give me liberty or give me death.” But many don’t know that he also warned, “No free government, or the blessing of liberty, can be preserved to any people without a frequent recurrence of fundamental principles.” That reminder is exactly why we’re here today—to reflect on the values that inspired the Freedom Shrine.
The Freedom Shrine exists to keep those founding principles alive. It’s more than just a display—it’s a powerful reminder of what our nation was built on and the ongoing effort it takes to protect those freedoms. The documents in this Shrine echo our country’s history and show us the passion and purpose that shaped the United States.
But the Shrine only matters if we engage with it. It shouldn’t just be background décor, it should be a living, learning centerpiece. When we use it in classrooms, assemblies, or simply stop to read and reflect, it comes alive.
Today, I invite each of you—students, staff, and community members—to take a moment before you leave to really look at these historic documents. When you do, you’ll be walking through the story of our country. You’ll sense the spirit of the time, the bravery of the people who wrote them, and the ideas they stood for.
These aren’t just old words, they’re the voices of people who helped build the American way of life. Their sacrifices shaped the freedoms we often take for granted. Think of leaders like Washington, Jefferson, and Lincoln. Let their victories remind us to take pride in our heritage.
By exploring the Freedom Shrine, we also gain a better understanding of what it took to achieve, and keep, our freedom. These documents show us how our government evolved and how liberty and justice became core to our democracy. That’s why our republic remains a symbol of hope around the world.
The Freedom Shrine was created by the Exchange Clubs to serve as a lasting symbol of our shared heritage. It reflects the belief that our future depends on an informed and inspired citizenry. The hope is that it encourages all of us, especially young people, not just to appreciate this legacy but to protect and strengthen it for generations to come.
So today, we’re not just dedicating the Freedom Shrine, we’re rededicating ourselves to what it represents. The Shrine helps us reconnect with the fundamental principles that make liberty possible. Patrick Henry believed in revisiting these ideas often. Let this Shrine be your reminder to do the same.
Thank you, and please, take the time to explore and reflect on what this Shrine means. Let it inspire you to carry these ideals forward.
Sample Speech 2
Ladies and gentlemen, students, teachers, and honored guests,
Thank you for joining us today. This short ceremony is meant to help us all better appreciate something we often take for granted: freedom. It’s easy to forget how lucky we are to live in a country where freedom is something we receive just by being born American.
But that gift—freedom—is not something we should ever take lightly.
Freedom means living the life we choose. It means being able to speak freely, practice any religion (or none at all), pursue any career, gather where and when we want, and so much more. It’s a priceless privilege.
For most of us, that freedom came without cost. But many others have paid a heavy price. Soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, and coast guardsmen, past and present, have dedicated and sometimes given their lives to protect what we enjoy today. Thousands gave up everything, homes, futures, even their lives for the cause of liberty.
That’s one of the reasons The National Exchange Club created the Freedom Shrine more than fifty years ago. It was built to help Americans—especially young people—see just how freedom was earned, and at what cost. These framed documents aren’t just historic papers; they are windows into the incredible effort, sacrifice, and hope that shaped our country.
When you really look at them, not just glance at them, you begin to understand their power. These aren’t just old words; they’re the foundation of a great story, one filled with courage, hardship, and the dream of a better life. It’s a story that stretches back centuries and belongs to all of us.
Take the Mayflower Compact, for example, written in 1641 by half-starved pilgrims aboard a small ship searching for freedom of religion. Or the Declaration of Independence, where Thomas Jefferson declared that all men are created equal and that governments exist only with the consent of the people.
After the Revolutionary War, though we’d won our independence, the real challenge began. The 13 new states started going in different directions. America was at risk of falling apart before it had even begun.
Then came the U.S. Constitution, which brought the country back together and gave us the freedoms we now enjoy. It might be the most important document ever written on the subject of human liberty. The Bill of Rights within it makes our Constitution unique. In America, the people tell the government what it can and cannot do—not the other way around.
That’s why I hope you’ll not only read the documents in the Freedom Shrine but also take time to learn their stories. Visit your library. Ask questions. Understand how fragile and hard-won freedom really is.
There are Freedom Shrines like this all across the country, thanks to the Exchange Clubs. They share the same message: freedom didn’t happen by accident—and it won’t last without care and commitment.
That’s the real message the Freedom Shrine brings us: a constant reminder of the incredible cost of freedom and our responsibility to protect it. We owe a great debt to those who fought and sacrificed so we could be free. And we owe it to future generations to make sure that freedom endures.
Freedom is one of the most valuable things we have—and one of the easiest to lose. If we want to keep it, we must be ready to defend it. Always.


- The Declaration of Independence Jefferson's "Rough Draft"
-
The Declaration of Independence
(June 28, 1776) -
Benjamin Frankin's Epitaph
(August 31, 1776) -
Patrick Henry's
Instructions to George Rogers Clark
(December 12, 1778) -
Washington's Letter to Col. Nicola
(May 22, 1782) -
The Treaty of Paris
( September 3,1783) -
The Northwest Ordinance
(July 13, 1787) -
Washington's Copy
of the Constitution
(August 1787) -
United States Constitution
(September 17, 1787) -
President George Washington’s
First Inaugural Address
(April 30, 1789) -
Bill of Rights
(December 15, 1791) -
George Washington’s
Farewell Address First Draft
(May 15, 1796)

-
Jefferson’s First Inaugural Address
(March 4,1801) -
The Star Spangled Banner
(September 13/14,1814) -
Andrew Jackson’s Letter
Describing the Battle of New Orleans
(January 9,1815) -
The Emancipation Proclamation
(January 1, 1863) -
Abraham Lincoln’s
Gettysburg Address
(November 19, 1863) -
The Monroe Doctrine
(December 2, 1823) -
Abraham Lincoln’s
Second Inaugural Address
(March 4, 1865) -
Robert E. Lee’s Letter
Accepting the Presidency of Washington College
(August 24, 1865) -
The U.S. Constitution’s
Thirteenth Amendment
(December 18,1865) -
Susan B. Anthony Trial
(November 28, 1874)

-
Theodore Roosevelt’s
Letter on Cuba
(January 22, 1907) -
Woodrow Wilson’s First
Inaugural Address
(March 4, 1913) -
The U. S. Constitution’s
Nineteenth Amendment
(August 26,1920) -
Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s
Four Freedoms Address
(January 6,1941) -
Selection of General Eisenhower
as Supreme Commander of Overlord
(1943) -
General McAuliffe’s Christmas Message
(December 24, 1944) -
The German Instrument of
Surrender World War II
(May 7, 1945) -
Instrument of Surrender
in the Pacific - World War II
(September 2, 1945) -
John F. Kennedy
Inaugural Address
(January 20th, 1961) -
Martin Luther King’s
“I Have A Dream” Speech
(August 28th, 1963)