Who said “What the Puritans gave the world was not thought, but action.”?

Verified

Wendell Phillips. A published source records them saying or writing it.

SourceSpeech at the dinner of the Pilgrim Society (21 December 1855), in Speeches, Letters and Lectures by Wendell Phillips (1884), p. 229

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“What the Puritans gave the world was not thought, but action.”
VerifiedSpeech at the dinner of the Pilgrim Society (21 December 1855), in Speeches, Letters and Lectures by Wendell Phillips (1884), p. 229 · evidencePuritans

Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: Speech at the dinner of the Pilgrim Society (21 December 1855), in Speeches, Letters and Lectures by Wendell Phillips (1884), p. 229.

APA

Phillips, W. (n.d.). What the Puritans gave the world was not thought, but action. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/35044-what-the-puritans-gave-the-world-was-not/

MLA

Phillips, Wendell. “What the Puritans gave the world was not thought, but action.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/35044-what-the-puritans-gave-the-world-was-not/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Phillips, Wendell. “What the Puritans gave the world was not thought, but action.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/35044-what-the-puritans-gave-the-world-was-not/.