Declaration of Independence (United States, 1776)
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Jean-Jacques Rousseau
His work “The Social Contract” (1762) discusses the idea of freedom as the fundamental right of every individual within a society.

John Stuart Mill
“On Liberty” (1859) argues for the importance of individual freedom against the tyranny of societal norms and government control.

Mahatma Gandhi
Advocated for nonviolent resistance and civil disobedience as means to achieve freedom and social justice.

Nelson Mandela
Fought against apartheid in South Africa, symbolizing the struggle for freedom and equality. Iconic leader of the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa, who spent 27 years in prison before becoming the country’s first black president, symbolizing the triumph of freedom over oppression.

Martin Luther King Jr.
His “I Have a Dream” speech (1963) and advocacy for civil rights emphasized the pursuit of freedom and equality for all.

John Locke
“Two Treatises of Government” (1689) argues for natural rights, including the right to life, liberty, and property.

Simone de Beauvoir
“The Second Sex” (1949) discusses freedom in the context of feminism, arguing for the liberation of women from social and cultural constraints.

Amartya Sen
Economist and philosopher who argues that freedom is not just about political rights but also encompasses social and economic opportunities.

Frederick Douglass
African American abolitionist, writer, and social reformer who escaped from slavery and became a leading advocate for freedom, equality, and civil rights.

Voltaire
French philosopher known for his advocacy of freedom of speech and separation of church and state.

Thomas Paine
Author of “Common Sense” (1776), which argued for American independence from British rule and the principles of freedom and democracy.

Ralph Waldo Emerson
American transcendentalist philosopher who wrote essays on individualism, self-reliance, and the pursuit of freedom through spiritual growth.

Betty Friedan
Author and activist who co-founded the National Organization for Women (NOW) and wrote “The Feminine Mystique” (1963), sparking the second wave of feminism and advocating for women’s freedom and equality.

Franz Kafka
Novelist known for works like “The Trial” and “The Metamorphosis,” which explore themes of existentialism and the individual’s struggle against oppressive bureaucracies.

Alexis de Tocqueville
French political thinker whose book “Democracy in America” (1835) explores the nature of freedom in democratic societies and the potential threats to individual liberty.

Emma Goldman
Anarchist political activist and writer known for her advocacy for freedom of speech, women’s rights, and social justice during the early 20th century in the United States.

Aung San Suu Kyi
Nobel laureate and leader of the pro-democracy movement in Myanmar, symbolizing the struggle for freedom and human rights in authoritarian regimes.

Edward Snowden
Whistleblower who exposed global surveillance programs, sparking debates about privacy, freedom of information, and government accountability.

Malala Yousafzai
Activist for girls’ education and women’s rights in Pakistan, surviving an assassination attempt by the Taliban, embodying the fight for freedom and education.

Frederick Nietzsche
German philosopher known for his ideas on individualism, the will to power, and the critique of traditional morality and societal norms.

Hannah Arendt
Political theorist who wrote extensively on totalitarianism, freedom, and the importance of active citizenship and public engagement.

John Rawls
Philosopher who developed the theory of justice as fairness, emphasizing the principles of liberty and equality as essential components of a just society.

Albert Camus
Existentialist philosopher and author known for works like “The Stranger” and “The Myth of Sisyphus,” exploring themes of freedom, absurdity, and rebellion.

Susan B. Anthony
Suffragist and women’s rights activist who campaigned for the right to vote, symbolizing the struggle for freedom and equality for women in the United States.

Cesar Chavez
Labor leader and civil rights activist who co-founded the United Farm Workers, advocating for the rights and freedoms of agricultural workers.

Edward Said
Palestinian-American scholar known for his writings on colonialism, Orientalism, and the struggle for self-determination and freedom in the Middle East.

Angela Davis
Activist, scholar, and feminist who has been a prominent voice in the fight against racial and gender oppression, advocating for social justice and freedom.

W.E.B. Du Bois
Civil rights activist and scholar who co-founded the NAACP and fought against racial discrimination, advocating for the civil liberties and freedoms of African Americans.

Harriet Tubman
African American abolitionist and political activist known for her role in the Underground Railroad, helping enslaved people escape to freedom.

Vaclav Havel
Czech playwright, dissident, and statesman who became the first president of the Czech Republic, symbolizing the fight for freedom and democracy during the Velvet Revolution.

Harvey Milk
American politician and gay rights activist, one of the first openly gay elected officials in the United States, advocating for LGBTQ+ rights and freedom from discrimination.

Rosa Parks
Civil rights activist known for her pivotal role in the Montgomery bus boycott, symbolizing the fight for racial equality and freedom from segregation in the United States.

Wangari Maathai
Kenyan environmental activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, known for her advocacy for environmental conservation, human rights, and freedom from ecological destruction.

Liu Xiaobo
Chinese writer, human rights activist, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, known for his advocacy for political freedoms, human rights, and democracy in China.

Raoul Wallenberg
Swedish diplomat who saved tens of thousands of Jews in Nazi-occupied Hungary during World War II, symbolizing courage, humanitarianism, and the fight for freedom from persecution.

Mary Wollstonecraft
Philosopher and writer who argued for women’s rights and equality in her work “A Vindication of the Rights of Woman” (1792), advocating for freedom from gender oppression.

Henry David Thoreau
American transcendentalist author known for “Civil Disobedience” (1849), advocating for individual conscience and resistance to unjust laws as forms of freedom.

Frantz Fanon
Psychiatrist and revolutionary writer known for his analysis of colonialism and racism in works like “The Wretched of the Earth,” advocating for liberation and freedom from oppression.

James Baldwin
Writer and activist whose works, such as “The Fire Next Time,” explored themes of race, identity, and the struggle for freedom and equality in America.

Audre Lorde
Poet, essayist, and activist known for her writings on feminism, race, and sexuality, advocating for the freedom of marginalized communities and intersectional feminism.

Edward Abbey
Environmentalist and author known for advocating for wilderness preservation and individual freedom in works like “Desert Solitaire” and “The Monkey Wrench Gang.”

Arundhati Roy
Indian author and activist known for her critiques of globalization, capitalism, and social inequality, advocating for freedom from exploitation and environmental degradation.

Ai Weiwei
Chinese artist and activist known for his criticism of the Chinese government’s human rights violations and censorship, advocating for freedom of expression and social justice.

Rosa Luxemburg
Marxist theorist and revolutionary socialist who advocated for workers’ rights and democracy, symbolizing the fight for freedom and social justice.

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
Russian novelist and dissident known for his works like “The Gulag Archipelago,” which exposed Soviet repression and advocated for freedom and human rights.

Millicent Fawcett
British suffragist and feminist who played a key role in gaining women the right to vote in the UK, symbolizing the struggle for freedom and gender equality.

Salvador Allende
Socialist president of Chile who advocated for social justice, democracy, and workers’ rights before being overthrown in a US-backed coup in 1973.

Steve Biko
South African anti-apartheid activist and leader of the Black Consciousness Movement, advocating for freedom and equality for black South Africans.

Patrice Lumumba
Congolese independence leader and first democratically elected Prime Minister of Congo, advocating for freedom from colonial rule and economic exploitation.

Marsha P. Johnson
LGBTQ+ rights activist and prominent figure in the Stonewall uprising, advocating for freedom and equality for LGBTQ+ individuals.

Ken Saro-Wiwa
Nigerian writer and environmental activist who fought against the exploitation of the Ogoni people and their land by multinational oil companies, advocating for freedom and environmental justice.

Che Guevara
Argentine Marxist revolutionary and guerrilla leader who fought for social justice, liberation, and freedom from imperialism in Latin America.

Julius Nyerere
Tanzanian anti-colonial activist and first president of Tanzania, known for his advocacy for African socialism, self-reliance, and freedom from colonial rule.

Oscar Romero
Salvadoran Archbishop and human rights activist who spoke out against social injustice and oppression, advocating for freedom and dignity for the poor and marginalized.

Rigoberto Menchú
Guatemalan indigenous rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, known for her advocacy for indigenous rights, social justice, and freedom from oppression.

Bobby Sands
Irish Republican Army member and hunger striker who protested against British rule in Northern Ireland, symbolizing the fight for national liberation and freedom.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer
German Lutheran pastor and theologian who opposed the Nazi regime and was involved in the resistance movement, advocating for freedom, justice, and human dignity.

Gloria Steinem
American feminist, journalist, and social-political activist known for her advocacy for women’s rights, gender equality, and freedom from gender-based discrimination.