Abstract Idea Of American Freedom

America is the universal symbol of freedom. But is it really free? Does the history of the United States stay true to the ideas of our forefathers? Or has the definition been altered to fit American policies? Has freedom defined America? Or has America defined freedom? I believe America was at first defined by freedom, then after time, America defined freedom, altering the definition to fit the niche it fits in, but still keeping key components so it still seems to be staying true to the ideas of America’s founding fathers.

President Franklin Roosevelt, in his Four Freedoms Speech, Americans heard a list of four essential freedoms that they should work toward for the future. They include “freedom of speech and expression – everywhere in the world,” “freedom of every person to worship God in his own way – everywhere in the world,” “freedom from want,” and “freedom from fear.” These freedoms aren’t limited to the national picture; rather, President Roosevelt focuses on the international,

The way the Americans gained independence may not be as valiant as it seems. The war lacked just war criteria despite many arguments. The idea was foolish and unnecessary and proved the lack of development amongst this young territory. Many factors lead to this premature uprising and the French and Indian War is a great reason for most of those factors. The decision by the American colonists to revolt against British rule was premature and overly aggressive.

Freedom is something that every American citizen is entitled to. It is one of the attributes that our country was founded on. John F. Kennedy’s “Inaugural Address” and Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “Four Freedoms” speech focuses around the concern of maintaining America’s freedom. However, while both speeches speak of making sure that America is still the free, safe nation is was meant to be, the two former presidents had different ideas on how to do so.

Since the creation of the United States, the meaning of freedom has changed to meet changing attitudes. Throughout our nation’s history, there have been significant periods of racial, economic and civil rights inequalities. There are different meanings for freedoms that have been established throughout the historical period of the United States. During this modern era, the US had certain periods of time that lived up to the ideals of freedom such as the Gilded Age. In opposition, the US has also had periods of time where our ideals of freedom failed to meet the requirements of our nation, a prime example being the late 1940s when the US entered the Cold War and led to the anti-communism period of McCarthyism which ultimately restricted

In 1914 President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms speech summarized the future of American global involvement as a whole. By defining freedom as “the supremacy of human rights everywhere” (Roosevelt 22) the framework of an American global presence was established. During World War II the growing tensions and oppression of human rights became a heavy reason for involvement abroad and by allying with Great Britain to implement military power, President Roosevelt backed his idea that universal freedoms belonged to all people (FDR and The Four Freedoms Speech). Support of The Four Freedoms was not only limited to the President. Norman Rockwell, a nationally treasured American artist, depicted President Roosevelt’s speech through four individual paintings representing the freedoms. Rockwell’s illustrations were spread throughout the nation’s most popular magazines and is now described as

Roosevelt translated ‘fear’ utilizing international language to mean a reduction of military weapons and equipment, all over the world, so thoroughly that nations everywhere would be in a position that would prevent any physical aggression against anyone. It was Roosevelt’s intentions that these freedoms would apply to every nation everywhere in the world. These “Four Freedoms” were the focus for the American soldiers as they entered the war in support of Great Britain. Good Neighbor Policy

Society exists in two realms: public and private.  Thousands of years ago, the public realm was clearly defined as the political arena, where men interacted one with another, and the private realm dwelled among the work and labor of man.  The progression from ancient Greece to modern day society has blurred the defining line between the two due to the increasing influence of money.

The American Ideological Consensus is that “…the American people have shared much of the same ideals, the same basic principles, and the same patterns of belief” (McClenaghan 104). When America filled itself with ideologically homogenous people, their beliefs started to define our nation and became American identities. If asked what they think of America, peoples of other nations would say that the roads are made of glass, opportunity is in the air, and civil rights are plentiful. These accounts maybe accentuated; however, the underlying message is that the American people have more freedoms then the peoples of other nations do. The most widely known American identity is freedom, and even though that American identity has been tried and

In his speech “The Four Freedoms” Franklin D Roosevelt addresses to the state of the union (the people) the vindication for the direct association of the United States in WWII. The historical context behind this was that after WWI U.S had taken an isolation stance to avoid U.S involvement in any wars. He believed that it was reasonable to provide England with the supplies they needed for the war because sooner or later U.S will be forced to get involved in the war. Roosevelt main point for the speech was to present the four freedoms; which include the freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom from want and freedom from fear. Not only does he mentions that these freedoms are essential for the Americans, but also everyone else in the world.

While it can mean different things to different people, the word “freedom” is characterized indisputably by the concept of autonomy. The notion of having agency over your own mind and body is an idea as old as time, and has had wars and revolutions fought in its name. In democratic nations such as the United States, it is widely believed that freedom is an inalienable human right. Whether it is freedom of speech, freedom from slavery, or freedom of religion, the notion of freedom is continuously upheld as a staple of American society. Due to this mindset, the mere prospect of any breach or violation of liberty in the United States seems horrifying and unfathomable. ‘These things happen in other countries, not in America,” many would argue,

First, I learned significance of freedom in American history. One of the purposes of this trip is to see how America has acquired freedom. I was able to study ambitiously about American social background such as religion, politics, economy because I originally had an interest in American history. In learning American history, I visited facilities and spots related to the independence war, the colonial era, the black history. For example, It’s the freedom trail. Boston is a land where an independent war has occurred, and by visiting here, I can gain knowledge about the history of America until independence. Other than that, in the land of Plymouth, I learned the history of seeking freedom of religion from the UK and I learned that people of

The basis of America’s being as a nation of “freedom” is derived from this phrase from the defining document of the nation’s founding. “…they derive rights inherent and inalienable among which are the preservation of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness (Declaration of Independence).” By means of this statement, all American citizens are given the right to pursue the things that bring them happiness whether that be spending time with family, watching football, or smoking marijuana. All religious/moral beliefs aside, legalizing marijuana would provide people the basic rights they are promised in the Declaration of Independence.

Freedom remains the sole basis for American society as we know it. Without freedom the great nation of America would have never been founded. To understand the true principles of freedom, one must understand the scope of the word. Philosophical freedom encompasses the ability to make choices without restraints, while political freedom is the state of being free rather than in physical confinement. Despite the importance of these ideas to our founding fathers, freedom has lost much of its importance in modern American society. The failure to stress the importance of freedom has diminished the quality of life for the entire American populous