America's Pursuit Of Freedom Essay

567 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Lincoln's views on slavery

Most people today believes that America has perfect freedom. However, in President Barack Obama’s speech that was addressed at Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial, in October 16, 2011, Obama states that America has made huge progress to freedom and racial equality within the last fifty years, but the nation still has more to accomplish. I personally agree with Obama in the fact that the nation has made big improvements to freedom and racial equality but we still haven’t achieved true freedom and equality. To start off, in the speech “The Gettysburg Address” spoken by Abraham Lincoln, an example of imperfect freedom was represented. For instance, Lincoln states,”that we highly resolve the dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom” (3). This illustrates how Lincoln believes we should achieve what the soldiers fought for in the civil war, which was freedom of slavery. This strongly supports the idea of imperfect freedom in America because at this point in history, many people, mainly from the south, believed that slavery should exist …show more content…

In the speech, it mentions, ”With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day” (10). This demonstrates that if we believe that we were all born equal, then we would be able to work together, struggle together, stand up for freedom together, and do more in harmony. Thus this relates to how America has imperfect racial equality because King indicated that if we truly understand that we were all born equally with the same rights, then we would not have the trouble of one race thinking it’s superior than the other. Therefore, America still has more progress to make if it wants to gain freedom and racial

Show More
Related

  • March On Washington Speech Analysis

    1169 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the beginning of his speech Martin Luther heralds back almost one hundred years by linking the importance of the march to the Emancipation Proclamation(King 3). By doing this King puts the issue of equality into a timeline by showing that while it has been a hundred years since African Americans had been given freedom it also shows that while freedom has been granted to them there has still been very little that has happened to give the African race a better life. Not much further in his speech King say, “ This note was a promise that all men-yes, black men as well as white men-would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” (King 3) Again by taking an important article from America’s past King says that when the Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution they meant for all Americans to be equal. Midway through the speech King pleads with his people to never resort to violence in the face of adversity that is handed to them by their oppressors, because King has came to realize through his own trials that the “their( referring to the white man)destiny is tied up with our destiny.”(King 3) As King’s speech progresses he tells the masses that until they have their rights be equal to those who rights are unbounded that they must not stop until they have achieved their goal. By being able to use

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of I Have A Dream Speech

    969 Words  | 2 Pages

    Dr. King brilliantly weaves so many subtleties into such a relatively short speech that almost 50 years later it still must be analyzed to no end. Dr. King was a southern Baptist preacher before he was sucked into the leading role of the civil rights movement, I’m sure that had a great effect on his ability to give a speech. Dr. King knew just what to say, when to say it, and how to say it. From this we can see Dr. King’s lasting effect, and the fact that although we have come far in the area of civil rights, we still have a long way to go and it will be Dr. King’s timeless words that usher us into a new era of prosperity and brotherhood.

    Read More

  • Freedmen's Bureau Essay

    984 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the previous year, Congress had passed a bill known as the New Freedmen’s Bureau. This bill assisted the integration of former slaves into freedmen society in the southern states for one year. The Bureau was directed under the War Department and provided many services such as: food, medical aid, and schools. In 1866, the Freedmen’s Bureau Bill was renewed by Congress, but was vetoed by President Andrew Johnson. He believed: “...the bill before me contains provisions which in my opinion are not warranted by the Constitution, and are not well suited to accomplish the end in view”. 1 One of the key reasons why Johnson vetoed the bill was due to his opposition of the federal government securing the rights of blacks. Johnson felt that it should

    Read More

  • Martin Luther King

    1020 Words  | 3 Pages

    In his speech, he proclaimed a free and better nation of equality and that both races, the blacks and the whites, should join together to achieve common ground and to support each other instead of fighting against one another. King’s vision is that all people should be judged by their “personality and character and not by their color of skin”(‘I Have a Dream”). All points he made in his speech were so strong that lots of people were interested in his thoughts. He dreamed of a land where the blacks could vote and have a reason to vote and where every citizen would be treated the same and with the same justice. He felt that all Americans should be equal and that they should forget about injustice and segregation. He wanted America to know what the problems were and wanted to point out the way to resolve these problems.

    Read More

  • The Legacy Of Abraham Lincoln

    1125 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...aring the slaves in Confederate states free, Lincoln succeeded in stopping the expansion of slavery and took one step forward in the advancement of freedom and rights for African Americans. As Lincoln once said, “With Malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation 's wounds.”

    Read More

  • Liberty And The American Revolution Essay

    646 Words  | 2 Pages

    From the Age of Exploration to the Revolutionary period, many factors shaped the connotation of the word liberty. Liberty is defined as, “the quality or state of being free” (Merriam-Webster). This means religious freedoms, political freedoms, social freedoms, and many freedoms we may not think of on a daily basis. Throughout history, the word liberty has developed into a word with a positive connotation as well as a word used to describe the freedom we have today. The idea of liberty developed because of, religious persecutions, restrictions, and maltreatment during the fifteenth century through the seventeenth century.

    Read More

  • Freedom in the United States

    2480 Words  | 5 Pages

    Freedom in the United States Essay submitted by Unknown No other democratic society in the world permits personal freedoms to the degree of the United States of America. Within the last sixty years, American courts, especially the Supreme Court, have developed a set of legal doctrines that thoroughly protect all forms of the freedom of expression. When it comes to evaluating the degree to which we take advantage of the opportunity to express our opinions, some members of society may be guilty of violating the bounds of the First Amendment by publicly offending others through obscenity or racism. Americans have developed a distinct disposition toward the freedom of expression throughout history. The First Amendment clearly voices a great American respect for the freedom of religion.

    Read More

  • African American Freedom Essay

    1020 Words  | 3 Pages

    The United States rests upon a foundation of freedom, where its citizens can enjoy many civil liberties as the result of decades of colonial struggles. However, African Americans did not achieve freedom concurrently with whites, revealing a contradiction within the “nation of liberty”. It has been stated that "For whites, freedom, no matter how defined, was a given, a birthright to be defended. For African Americans, it was an open-ended process, a transformation of every aspect of their lives and of the society and culture that had sustained slavery in the first place." African Americans gained freedom through the changing economic nature of slavery and historical events like the Haitian Revolution policies, whereas whites received freedom

    Read More

  • Freedom And Rights In America Essay

    565 Words  | 2 Pages

    We have a lot of freedom and rights in America that sometimes take for granted. I think that these are just a few of the important rights that we have in America. Freedom of speech, free education, and freedom of religion are three of the greatest things that Americans have and could sometimes take for granted if we are not careful.

    Read More

  • Freedom And Freedom Essay

    1161 Words  | 3 Pages

    Freedom is having the right to own, act, think, and speak without any restrictions from the outside. Ever since the New World was discovered, people have been fighting for their independence till this day. People of other colors and race have been forced to do labor without their consent. Today, those same people have been blamed or accused of crimes that were not committed by them despite of being free. Freedom has different meanings and those meanings change overtime; however sometimes the significance of freedom does not change.

    Read More

  • Similarities Between Lincoln And Martin Luther King

    559 Words  | 2 Pages

    Last but not least, Lincoln’s speech shows the importance of ending the Civil War. Stated on page 27, “ Lincoln’s dedication to the ideals of freedom and equality continue to inspire people around the world.” This proves, Lincoln’s speech helped to get freedom he stated good key points that caught people eyes and made the think about how the world should be and how it should change. His speech inspired others to fight for equality. Also stated in the speech, “...that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” Proving that all should should be equal in this nation with no if ands or buts about it, all should have life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness Lincoln’s speech showed us that we need to step up to government and change the world. To conclude, Lincoln’s speech emphasizes the importance of ending the civil war because all should have life, liberty, and pursuit of

    Read More

  • The History of Freedom

    1666 Words  | 4 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • The History of American Freedom

    1321 Words  | 3 Pages

    American freedom has faced many tribulations, especially throughout the slavery, segregation, and women’s suffrage eras. However, the ideological belief of individual freedom has always triumphed. From when the first Pilgrim stepped onto American soil to the present day America has been run by a democracy and the freedom that system of government allows its peoples to have. “Americans share a common identity grounded in the freedom — consistent always with respecting the freedom of others — to live as they choose” (Friedman).

    Read More

  • The Great Concept Of American Freedom

    1409 Words  | 3 Pages

    Perhaps the most exclusive aspect of American freedom is stated directly in the Declaration of Independence. It states, "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" (Jefferson). This well-known statement truly incorporates all facets of what it means to be free in America. The citizens of this country have the right to live. They have the right to be free of restriction and control, to do what they please. And they have the right to be happy in whatever way that might be. These rights are...

    Read More

  • Value Of Freedom Essay

    640 Words  | 2 Pages

    “Freedom.” It is a word with many different connotations, but symbolizes one central idea: Liberty. Freedom has always been deeply embedded in the history of our nation. Throughout time, many Americans have fought for freedom. From the Pilgrims, who set sail from England to the shores of Cape Cod to escape religious persecution, to the Founding Fathers of America who fought for freedom from England’s oppression, our fellow Americans have always fought for what they believed in. They gained certain freedoms that they thought would not only be important to them, but to future generations. However, it is evident that society today does not value those same freedoms.

    Read More

More about America's Pursuit Of Freedom Essay

Open Document