Americans view of civil liberties and freedom changed a lot from 1865 to 1975. It started with white land owning males having freedom and everyone else having a restricted freedom in some form. Throughout that 90-year span, however it changed to a more modern view as it is today, where every man and woman is free to do as he/she pleases and achieve the American dream. This changed occurred in what I see as the three most important era’s. The first one being the era of reconstruction, which set the foundation for further changes to occur and is the first real point when people started dealing with the idea of equality and freedom for all. The second is WWII this era was important, because it changed people perception of freedom. Before this point freedom was an idea, however during this era freedom became tangible. It was something you could fight for. The final era to discuss is the Civil Rights Movements. This era is important, because it is when freedom finally became a reality for everyone. Its also still occurring at this very minute. Reconstruction was a major changing point in people’s views of freedom, because it presented the very idea of freedom for more than just white males and laid the foundation for other movements to follow. It occurred after the Civil War from 1865 to its official end in 1877. It originated primarily out of necessity. The government needed a plan to deal with all the now freed African Americans and the once confederate states rejoining the union. The Republican Party backed it though they themselves could not agree on an official plan. Several plans emerged, but in the end, it was a hodgepodge of each plan put together. Several historians would probably argue that reconstruction fail... ... middle of paper ... ...ial issue and not a simply political issue with this change it really worked. In conclusion you can hopefully see that these three events where crucial in changing peoples perceptions of freedom. Reconstruction presented the concept of freedom for all. WWII showed that freedom in action with women and other minorities working the roles the free white men normally worked. It also changes freedom from just a concept to a tangible object you could fight for. Finally, there is the civil rights movement that finally saw the idea come into fruition. Freedom was finally obtained by many and though we haven’t reached a perfect world with everyone being free and no one judging or treating each other different based on what you are not who you are we are on the way. These three events where crucial in getting us there and we will continue on the path these events laid.
Many things can change in twenty years, there is evidence of this idea throughout our entire history, especially during the time when Franklin D. Roosevelt was President in 1941 as well as the time when John F. Kennedy was President in 1961. Both Roosevelt’s “Four Freedoms” speech and Kennedy’s Inaugural Address discussed the concept of freedom. However Roosevelt’s speech approached the concept of freedom by wanting Americans to support the allies in the war that was about to start whereas Kennedy’s speech approached the concept of freedom by making peace with others.
Reconstruction is the period of rebuilding the south that succeeded the Civil War (1861-1865). This period of time is set by the question now what? The Union won the war and most of the south was destroyed. Devastation, buildings turned into crumbles and lost crops. The South was drowning in poverty. To worsen the situation there were thousands of ex-slaves that were set free by the Emancipation Proclamation and the 13 Amendment. "All these ex-slaves", Dr. Susan Walens commented, "and no place to put them," The ex-slaves weren't just homeless but they had no rights, unlike white man. The government and congress had to solve the issues present in the south and the whole nation in order to re-establish the South. These issues were economical, social and political. The United States had presidential and congressional reconstruction. Reconstruction was a failure, a great attempt to unify the nation. It was a failure due to the events that took place during this period.
Reconstruction gave African American men political rights(Reconstruction, 1866-1877). It gave them the right to vote and hold office
Reconstruction was the time period following the Civil War, which lasted from 1865 to 1877, in which the United States began to rebuild. The term can also refer to the process the federal government used to readmit the defeated Confederate states to the Union. While all aspects of Reconstruction were not successful, the main goal of the time period was carried out, making Reconstruction over all successful. During this time, the Confederate states were readmitted to the Union, the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth amendments were ratified, and African Americans were freed from slavery and able to start new lives.
we had no legally protected rights of free speech in anything like the form we
Liberty can have multiple meanings it depends on who you ask. It is the freedom to and freedom from. Freedom to it is your right to have a personal freedom, to do as you wish. Freedom from is your right to write speak and act freely without fear of threat.
According to the discussion with fellow classmates on the topic of consistency in reference of the Constitution and Bill of Rights in comparison to the newly added Reconstruction Amendments which we're the 13th, 14th and 15th, not only did it change American society drastically, but continues to have an on going impact in the 21st century most importantly modern day immigration. It was a catalyst for many other movements around the same time such as Women's suffrage and the rise of Feminists. A slow progressive change and thought within the South as Slaves who are now considered as equals, at least in theory; to the extent of becoming American citizens who are allowed to have opinions and rights. Elected African Americans held office
11 months before the United States of America would declare war on Japan, President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered a speech to the American people known as the “four freedoms” on January 6, 1941.1 The main purpose of this speech was to rally support to enter World War 2, however in order to declare war the United States Of America had to abandon the isolationist policies that emerged out of WWI. These four freedoms would establish human rights after the war, but more importantly they would resonate through the United States for decades after the war. Some of these freedoms have remained the same and some of these freedoms have changed throughout the years. We will be looking at three periods and comparing how the freedoms varied from each of the three periods.
The era of the 1920’s as well as the Great Depression defined Americas freedom throughout the rest of history. During the roaring twenties expansion and freedom were right around the corner, beginning with the new car, new cities, new luxury items, and more. Then the Depression occurred in 1932, the economy hit rock bottom and America as it was seen lost the title “The Land of the Free”. This title thrived through the twenties as travelers migrated to America to be a part of the American Dream to soon be hit by reality. The era of the twenties and the Great Depression shaped what America was today, although the twenties expanded and brought freedom while Depression took that away.
The Transformation of the American Society was drastically effected by the Civil Rights movement and the antiwar movements that occurred during the 1960s and 1970s. These movements gained momentum quickly as public sentiment saw the everlasting war in Vietnam and the domestic violence within the country as unneccessary.
Throughout history freedom has had many different meanings and definitions; based on race, gender, and ethnicity. According to the dictionary freedom means the state of being free or at liberty rather than in confinement or under physical restraint (“freedom” def. 1). Freedom may seem like something given to everyone however it was something workers had to fight for. Not everyone believed that workers’ rights needed to be changed, which led to a long battle between workers, employers and the government. To the working class people freedom meant making higher wages, having regulated hours, workable conditions and the right to free speech.
The prompt for this essay is, “Does freedom need to be won more than once?” In my opinion, it does and it has to be won with every generation. I think even though there are laws ensuring our rights, they are not always upheld. For example, women and men are supposed to be equal, but in some situations they get paid less. In this essay, I will argue that our freedoms must continually be earned. For instance, the Revolutionary War was fought to gain independence from Britain, the Civil War was fought to abolish slavery, and the Women’s Suffrage Movement in the 1910s to 1920s was aimed to allow women to vote.
Freedom has been fought over since the beginning of humans. People fighting to be free of oppression. To be able to do anything everyone else can do without being questioned or punished for the smallest things. Looking back at most conflicts of the past almost all arise from people wanting to be free. Wars, Movements, Political Fights, and more are all examples of a group of people deciding to take a stand against their oppressor and change the way they are being treated. Freedom has been a right earned over time and is still fought over to preserve it. Some of the most influential people of the past were activists for freedom at some point or another. People such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Mahatma Gandhi, and Josephine Baker have all
Freedom is a forever changing concept. For each individual, the definition of freedom is solely their own. There is no way to define freedom in a concrete way, but instead it can be looked at individualistically such as “the freedom to” or “the freedom from”; the freedom of certain rights, self-definition, and religion or the freedom from oppression, prejudice and judgement. Throughout history, freedom’s definition has molded itself into the life and society of those of that specific time, but as we look at the preceding and succeeding years, there is a developmental aspect that integrates itself into those meanings tied to freedom and what it means to those people. In history, we see the ideas of freedom connected to many groups of people
...or southern blacks to vote. In 1967 the Supreme Court rules interracial marriage legal. In 1968 Martin Luther King Jr. was shot dead at the age of thirty-nine. Also the civil rights act of 1968 is passed stopping discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing of housing. In 1988 President Reagan’s veto was overridden by congress passing the “Civil Rights Restoration Act” expanding the reach of non-discrimination laws within private institutions receiving federal funds. In 1991 President Bush. signs the, “Civil Rights Act of 1991”, strengthening existing civil rights laws. In 2008 President Obama is elected as the first African American president. The American Civil Rights Movement has made a massive effect on our history and how our country is today. Without it things would be very different. In the end however, were all human beings regardless of our differences.