Definition Of Freedom

Throughout history, Americans have sought to spread the spirit of equality, which is believed to be the realization of true freedom. Before establishing this freedom, every American had only one question stuck in their head: What is freedom? Our country received it in the year of 1776 from the British through a series of difficulties and wars. African Americans defined it as an escape from slavery, while immigrants defined it as their acceptance into a new society. More yet, women of the women’s suffrage defined their freedom as their recognition into society and for their rights to be equal to that of every other man. These different perceptions of cultures/groups in America tied together to form an American view of freedom. Freedom is

True freedom is not something that can be given. It is something that every single person must discover for themselves. If a person were set free, though still thought of themselves as a slave, they are a slave. America is a country that thrives on freedom. Though numerous people throughout the United States take this privilege for granted.

The definition of freedom depends entirely on how the phrase “freedom from…” ends. Perhaps a most straightforward understanding of freedom is the laissez-faire emphasis on limiting the power of government to interfere in economic and social matters. In this state of absolute freedom, however, inequalities exist between people, so that freedom from a controlling government does not imply individuals’ freedom of contract, movement, legal protection, equal rights through citizenship, or political voice. In light of the persistence of slavery in the US through the 19th century, freedom as an individual’s legal status separated people who could be citizens from people who were lifelong slaves. Even among legally free people, economic

All around the world people talk about freedom; America has more freedom than Russia, twenty-one years old as more freedom than a fifteen year old. What does “freedom” mean? Many have different definitions of “freedom”. For some it could be the freedom to speak and act as you want and others it could be to go where ever you want.

In Eric Foner’s book, The Story of American Freedom, he writes a historical monograph about how liberty came to be. In the book, his argument does not focus on one fixed definition of freedom like others are tempted to do. Unlike others, Foner describes liberty as an ever changing entity; its definition is fluid and does not change in a linear progress. While others portray liberty as a pre-determined concept and gradually getting better, Foner argues the very history of liberty is constantly reshaping the definition of liberty, itself. Essentially, the multiple and conflicting views on liberty has always been a “terrain of conflict” and has changed in time (Foner xv).

The United States was not truly a “land of the free” during the period from colonial times to the Civil War. During this time, the United States was not in a good place concerning freedom. Slavery was a big and debated issue, the Dred Scott Decision caused much controversy, and made many people question their country’s freedom, and the American Revolution took place between the colonial times and the Civil War. These three huge events in history made people during that time question their independence, and it is still a widely wondered question today. Freedom will always be debated widely among the people of America, but it is obvious that the United States was not free during this time.

Freedom is not a term with a simple definition or interpretation. While the basic understanding of freedom is for one to have certain rights and liberties as a citizen, the American notion and application of freedom have certainly changed since its very beginning as a nation. A crucial part of America’s history that challenged the idea of true “American freedom” for citizens was the Reconstruction Era. Although the Union troops were pulled out of the South and ended de jure segregation, the emergence of Jim Crow laws at the end of Reconstruction facilitated de facto segregation. Instead of completely achieving equal freedom, Reconstruction ultimately hindered African American’s freedom with the emergence of the black codes that resurfaced again

What is freedom exactly? Freedom does not merely refer to unshackled chains of slavery, although in the 19th century, this was the generally accepted belief. When the Civil War ended, many believed that for once, America was a “new nation, for the first time, wholly free” (Fonera 2). However, emancipation from slavery dramatically changed some Americans’ conception of freedom. In 1865, James Garfield asserted that if freedom is understood as “the bare privilege of being unchained…the absence of slavery…then freedom is a bitter mockery, a cruel delusion” (Fonera 2). Instead, freedom is about “civil rights, the vote, ownership of property” (Fonera 2). Freedom is defined by the liberties that

The United States of America’s history is extensive and full of social and political issues. One word dominates the character of the country: liberty. The Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor symbolizes the first glimpse immigrants will get of America. Patrick Henry’s quote, “give me liberty or give me death!” is a constantly-cited piece from the eve of the American Revolution. In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson and the other signers insist upon “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”. Liberty is something everyone wants, and America is often said to be rooted in this concept. The word has a flexible definition; as times changed, the definition changed, and it had a special meaning to those living in the time of slavery

The word “freedom” has been redefined countless time by Americans throughout history. First it was freedom from monarchy and religious persecution, followed by freedom from slavery and economic oppression. As of today, the nation is fighting for freedom, as many people are seeking a change in issues such as sexual orientation, terrorist oppression, college tuitions, and certain religious practices. In order to further understand how freedom has changed overtime, this paper will analyze two different eras in the American history and compare and contrast the ideologies and views that Americans had when it comes to defining what freedom is. The two eras that will be compared in this paper are the New Deal era and Reagan’s Era, which have significantly

Americans went through many experiences to move into their independence, they had a lack of freedom and equality. In this era, the word “freedom” may have been looked upon differently. Many people suffered, however; some people had more rights than others. There were many limitations to people based on color of skin (race). There were many opinions and different perspectives on whether everyone deserved freedom and equality. These obstacles have shaped the America for what it is known as today. Although America went through many experiences such as lack of freedom, and moving forward into their independence, they had to make decisions on who deserved freedom; however, they gained the reputation of being land of the free.

Essay #4 Wayne Ford Between the post-Civil War period and the 21st century, freedom has always had its challenges. Since the idea of freedom was not passed down from the creator and is a vision of mankind, you can see the pitfalls and loopholes in the way that the United States has come to define its freedoms. Many people fighting for freedom had the right ideas in their minds and were justified but the measure sometimes fell short.

Many ideas are important within the American culture, but to the American sense of patriotism, freedom is most fundamental. The idea of freedom is central to the American politics – which is at times referred to as liberty. Since the birth of the nation, freedom has been the vocabulary of the American language and its importance cannot be underestimated. The Declaration of Independence, for instance, ranks liberty as an inalienable right. On the other hand, the Constitution reckons that it purposes to protect civilians’ liberty. The importance of freedom has even stretched further than the political arena and has prompted the birth of civil rights movements and other activist protests. The Cold War and the Civil War were all for the cause of freedom. The importance that Americans attach to freedom can also be demonstrated from the erection of statues, banishment of slavery, use of liberty poles and a right to vote for adults. For many years, women and the African Americans have for a long time fought against denial and infringement of their freedom . However, given the importance that Americans affiliate to freedom in the conceptualization of their country, it has been the subject of modifications over the course of years especially before the Revolutionary War.

Today we accept that freedom is a basic right human right but what exactly is freedom. 1On one hand, there is physical freedom. People who are not imprisoned or enslaved are free. On the other hand, there is freedom as a the right to act, speak or think what you want. People cannot reach their full potential if they are not free in both senses of the word.

Freedom is defined as “the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint”. Is freedom needed in order to find human happiness or could having too much freedom be dangerous? In Chapter 5 of The Grand Inquisitor, the question surfaces: how does freedom relate to human happiness? I believe that a person’s freedom does not necessarily determine their happiness.