The Evolution of Freedom Throughout American History

Introduction to the Concept of Freedom in American History

Freedom, the foundation of American democracy, functions in various ways throughout American history in terms of its definition. The extent to which there has been an evolution in the concept of American freedom has been debated by historians with a variety of opinions. Some argue that the term’s definition has radically evolved while others believe there has only been a slight change since the founding period. This question induces the debate regarding the degree in which the definition of American freedom has changed over time. Historian Eric Foner analyzes the relationship between freedom and the United State’s identity while also focusing on its ongoing role in democracy. He states that the concept of freedom has been ambiguous and rather than fitting into a fixed definition, its numerous interpretations have sparked conflicts throughout American history. Further, Foner proposes the question of who is allowed to enjoy this freedom and the rights it entails. He also declares that although freedom was founded based on being an inalienable right for all, the United States has openly deprived many different groups of freedom. He acknowledges that the definition of freedom has transformed over time while the concept has been debated and used unfairly consistently. This discriminatory behavior has endured through American history, limiting the rights of groups such as women, lower-classmen, racial minorities, and more. While Foner provides a compelling argument for the radicalism yet on-going centrality of freedom in American culture, he fails to account for the reasons why the interpretation of freedom has encountered a radical evolution since the founding period. When considering this factor, freedom can be seen as a product of the affairs of the time period, which repeatedly reshapes and defines the fluidity of the term. Throughout American history, the United States’ involvement in wars and rights movements has led to a progressive evolution regarding which social/racial groups are allowed the rights entailed with democracy and freedom.

Founding Documents and the Initial Definition of Freedom

After earning their independence movement and the Revolutionary War against Britain, the early Americans and Founding Fathers drafted the new nation’s founding documents, and thus defined the basis of freedom in America. The American Colonists were unfairly stripped of their freedom under British rule. In response, the American Continental Congress officially declared their independence as a new nation leading to a war to legitimize their claims. The Declaration of Independence, written on July 4th, 1776, was the first introduction of freedom’s centrality in the United States of America. The Founding Fathers stated in this historic document, '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.” In the courageous act of declaring independence as a colony from the largest superpower in the world at the time, the Founding Fathers had one idea in mind: Freedom. They wanted freedom for themselves and freedom for all Americans living in the 13 colonies. Their actions defied the norms of the world they lived in. People, especially people living in British colonies, were supposed to be obedient to the King. In defying this expectation, the early Americans gave new meanings to freedom as there had never been a free nation lead by its own people before. Foner analyzes this new American definition of freedom. “Alongside the idea of ‘liberties’ that applied only to some groups arose the notion of the ‘rights of Englishmen’ that applied to all. The famous ‘English liberty’ became central to Anglo-American political culture. It meant that no man was above the law and that all within the realm enjoyed certain basic rights of a person or property that even the king could not abridge.” After victorious in the Revolutionary War against Britain following the Declaration of Independence, early American history continued with the new definition of freedom outlined by the historic document. Although Thomas Jefferson and the Founding Fathers set the definition of freedom as an entitlement for equal rights, they failed to clarify what specific groups these equal rights applied to. Regarding this question and the liberty, the state of being free, during this time, Foner writes that “Liberty also rested on obedience to law. Yet the law applied differently to different people, and liberty came from knowing one's social place. Within families, male dominance and female submission was the norm. Most men lacked economic freedom that came with the ownership of property. Only a minute portion of the population enjoyed the right to vote.” Here, Foner introduces the weakness of the new American definition of freedom due to the ambiguity of who it applies to. The Revolutionary War following the Declaration of Independence was a war based on a radical idea and after victorious in their full independence from Britain, the Founding Fathers wrote a constitution designed to encapsulate the idea of freedom. The first constitution, known as the “Articles of Confederation,” revealed the emphasis of people’s freedom separated from the power of the government. However, although these articles did not limit the people’s rights, it lead to the federal government being too weak and thus unable to govern. It was then clear that a revised constitution was needed. The goal of the 1787 Constitutional Convention “was to create a new constitution––a new design––for the American government… [There were] 55 delegates representing each state… most delegates were men of property, merchants, or slaveholding planters… There were no artisans, tenants, blacks, or women.” Clearly, only specific people were allowed to determine the new role of freedom in American society. Nevertheless, the constitution was written and redefined the definition of American freedom as it outlined the rights of the people. The Preamble of the Constitution opens with “We the People of the United States.” It is these words that supported the movement of freedom for all citizens in the new, free nation. Laying the foundation of freedom in America, the Constitution continued, yet did not complete, pursuing the idea of rights for all groups of people. Furthermore, Amendment I of the Bill of Rights, ten amendments added to the Constitution in order to further provide and protect certain freedoms to citizens, states: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” The Founding Fathers envisioned the guarantee of freedom of religion, speech, press, and assembly and by inscribing them in the design of the country’s government, set the basis of freedom for the future. However, they still left ambiguity of what groups are allowed these rights. Ultimately, the founding documents of early American history were the initial steps of the then-young country to redefine the definition of freedom in the world and become the global basis for a free nation.

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The Revolutionary War and the Expansion of Freedom

While the question of who the rights entailed with freedom applied to was ever-so present, the growing abolitionist movement pushed back on the acceptance of slavery and thus, continued to redefine the definition of American freedom. Democracy, according to Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, means a “government of the people, by the people, and for the people,” however, Lincoln’s famous speech leaves out information concerning who “the people” are in which democracy applies to. During the colonial era and the nineteenth century, some racial groups were clearly left out of this category and not granted the rights of freedom entailed with democracy. Specifically, the lack of freedom for African-Americans was unambiguous and led to pushback movements from both blacks and whites. Stemming from the ideas of early English colonists, slavery became a central characteristic of America, thus hypocritical to the idea of American freedom for all. Slaves were not allowed rights and were deemed the “property” of their white owners. Soon, however, the opinions of the north and the south divided. “As Southern slavery expanded, many Northerners embraced moral and religious objections to the institution. By the early 1800s, all of the states from New Jersey and Pennsylvania northward had enacted laws to emancipate their resident slaves.” Actions by the government, such as the “Gag Rule,” the Compromise of 1850, and the Dred Scott case, furthered the divide between the two perspectives and soon lead to seven southern states seceding from the nation. The United States was now split. The North continued with the promise outlined in the Declaration of Independence that “all men are created equal” while the South believed that those rights did not apply to African-Americans. Now, just as the early Americans strived for abolition from the British government, the Northerners strived for the abolition of slavery. The two sides engaged in the great American Civil War while the winner would either separate the union or define the next definition of American freedom. Foner characterizes this great war as “the struggle by outcasts and outsiders––the abolitionists, the slaves, and free blacks themselves––[to reinvigorate] the notion of freedom as a universal birthright, a truly human ideal.” Towards the conclusion of the war, President Lincoln issued his “Emancipation Proclamation” where he stated that “all persons held as slaves' within the previously-seceded states 'are, and henceforward shall be free.” However, the legitimacy of his statement only existed if the Union was victorious in the war. Still, Lincoln’s declaration was an act of pursuing freedom for all in America and inspired the public while transforming the war from one being mostly fought to preserve the Union, to one being fought to eliminate slavery. After the bloodiest war in American history, the North was victorious and expanded their realm of freedom as the union stayed intact and the freedom movement continued into the Reconstruction era following the war.

Reconstruction Amendments and the Broadening of Freedom

The Reconstruction movement focused on the definition of freedom in the new American society and specifically passed amendments that would allow vulnerable minorities the rights associated with democracy and freedom. The Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments of the United States Constitution, known as the “Civil War Amendments,” were all adopted. These amendments were written to ensure the freedom of the now emancipated slaves, and everyone living in America. Amendment Thirteen was the first step in achieving this goal and ending American slavery by declaring that “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.” Further, Amendment Fourteen continued this progress and stated that “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” Lastly, the determination of equal rights for African-American continues with Amendment Fifteen as it declares that “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” This time period furthers the question of who American freedom applies to which was first raised by the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. The inclusion of African-American rights through the Reconstruction era redefined the definition of American freedom once again and highlights how historical events, such as wars, run parallel with the definition as Foner writes that “The Civil War, of course, destroyed slavery and placed the question of black citizenship on the national agenda.” The African-American rights movement went beyond their own minority group and, according to Foner, “inspired other groups, especially women, to stake their own claims to greater freedom in the young republic” thus illuminating the fluidity of the American definition of freedom and the potential for it to be redefined.

Conclusion: The Ongoing Evolution of Freedom in America

The prominent radicalism regarding the definition of American freedom has run parallel with the conflicts and social movements constantly throughout American history. Early Americans fought for their young nation’s freedom from the mighty British and thus defined the foundation of American freedom. However, the specific social and racial groups allowed the rights entailed with freedom were not clarified. Later, various movements focused on this definition of freedom and further redefined to include more minorities. Historian Eric Foner declares that the definition of freedom has been very ambiguous and rather than fitting into a fixed definition, it has been redefined consistently throughout history. While Foner provides a compelling argument, he fails to acknowledge how various wars and social movements have further caused the radicalism of freedom. The parallelism of historical events and the redefinition of freedom suggests its vulnerability for change over time. Although it may seem that the definition has only varied slightly while core aspects of the definition have remained the same, the definition’s ability to be changed by the people supports what a democracy is and provides hope for minorities who may have not been allowed freedom at one time.

Bibliography

1. Despo. Lecture Notes: L1 &L2: Colonial History Review The Founding Period: An American Revolution?, 2019.
2. Foner, Eric. “The Contested History of American Freedom.” Philadelphia, PA: The Historical Society of Pennsylvania, 2013.
3. Jefferson, Thomas. 'The Declaration of Independence.' 1776. Retrieved from https://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/133/historic-american-documents/4957/the-declaration-of-independence/.
4. Lincoln, Abraham. Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. 1862. Pdf. https://www.loc.gov/item/scsm000950/.
5. Lincoln, Abraham. “Gettysburg Address.” Avalon Project - Gettysburg Address. Accessed December 15, 2019. Retrieved from https://avalon.law.yale.edu/19th_century/gettyb.asp.
6. Madison, James. “U.S. Constitution.” 1787. Retrieved from https://constitutionus.com/
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