As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master
Text-only poster in dark type on pale blue, quoting Abraham Lincoln on democracy and on the ballot versus the bullet, attributed to him as '16th President of the United States'. The technique is testimonial, borrowing a revered figure's name for the message, with an abstract value word, 'democracy', carrying the argument.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1941
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- Issuer not printed
- Region
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- Mixed
- Regime
- Roosevelt Administration
- Leader
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Audience
- Domestic public
- Purpose
- Persuade or win support
- Themes
- Home front, Elections and party politics
- Event
- World War II
- Regime
- Roosevelt administration
- Leader
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Source
- Identified Openly sourced: the speaker is who they say they are
- Source
- U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, Record Group 44, World War II Posters, retrieved October 4, 2026
- Rights
- Public domain (U.S. government work)
Issuer not printed. National Archives and Records Administration, RG 44, 44-PA-424 (NAID 513883).
Text on the object
AS I WOULD NOT BE A SLAVE, SO I WOULD NOT BE A MASTER. THIS EX- PRESSES MY IDEA OF DEMOCRACY. WHATEVER DIFFERS FROM THIS, TO THE EXTENT OF THE DIFFERENCE, IS NO DEMOCRACY. ******* AMONG FREEMEN THERE CAN BE NO SUCCESSFUL APPEAL FROM THE BAL- LOT TO THE BULLET, AND...THEY WHO TAKE SUCH APPEAL ARE SURE TO LOSE THEIR CASE AND PAY THE COST. ABRAHAM LINCOLN 16th PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
