Liberty And Freedom Essay

“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,” states the Declaration of Independence. Freedom and liberty are what define and unite us as a country, and they are valued above everything else. Everyone views freedom and liberty differently, based on their beliefs and traditions. Similarly, freedom and liberty had different meanings to different people during the American Revolution.. The Loyalists, Patriots, and slaves all had different viewpoints on what they considered freedom and liberty. The Patriots declared that their freedom was separating from the oppressive rule of the

British government and becoming a new nation, which would give them the liberty to make their own rules and run the country how they wished. The Loyalists, including Lockton, believed that freedom was being able to live under the British rule peacefully, which granted them the liberty to not be physically or verbally abused by people who believed otherwise. Similar to Isabel’s view on freedom and liberty, slaves defined their freedom as being free from their oppressive masters/owners. This would give them the liberty to choose how they wanted to lead their lives instead of being ordered by other people all the time.
The Patriots declared that their freedom was separating from the oppressive rule of the British government and becoming a new nation, which would give them the liberty to make their own rules and run the country how they wished. In Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson, Curzon tells Isabel, “‘My master and those he serves, the rebels, the Congress. We’re fighting for freedom from people like Lockton.’” This quote exemplifies the Patriots’ motives. Although Curzon is a slave, he supports the colonists, making him a Patriot. When he says they are fighting for freedom from ‘people like Lockton,’ he means the Loyalists and the British government as a whole. This quote makes clear that freedom to the Patriots meant separating from the British rule. Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson states, “‘The news from Philadelphia is that Congress is close to declaring independence,’ Goldbuttons said.” This quote exemplifies the level of progression the Patriots are in regarding gaining independence from Great Britain. To liberate themselves from Britain, the Patriots created Declaration of Independence. By doing this, the Patriots moved closer to their freedom because they directly stated that they do not want to be a part of Great Britain and that are a new nation. This eventually lead to war, but this was the beginning of the Patriot's fight for what they called freedom and liberty.
The Loyalists, including Lockton, believed that freedom was being able to live under the British rule peacefully, which granted them the liberty to not be physically or verbally abused by people who believed otherwise.

In Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson, the Mayor says,“‘The beast has grown too large,’ the mayor said. ‘If it breaks free of its chains, we are all in danger. We need to cut off its head.’”This quote exemplifies how the Loyalists viewed the Patriot’s fight for freedom. The Loyalists use the word “beast”, which implies that they do not like the Patriots. In addition, they say “grown too large.” This shows that the Loyalists think that the Patriots are gaining too much power. They also say, “If it breaks free of its chains, we are all in danger.” The Loyalists know that if the Patriots gain their independence, they will be in danger because they will be physically and verbally abused for opposing the Patriots in their fight for freedom. However, the Loyalists want to stop the Patriots from gaining independence. This is what they mean when they say, “We need to cut off its head.” If the Patriots do not gain their freedom, the Loyalists don’t have to live in fear of the threats that the Patriots impose on them. Furthermore, if the Patriots don’t gain their independence, they won’t have their own country or rules , so the Loyalists can live under the King’s rule in peace like they did

before.
Similar to Isabel’s view on freedom and liberty, slaves defined their freedom as being free from their oppressive masters/owners. This would give them the liberty to choose how they wanted to lead their lives instead of being ordered by other people all the time. In Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson, Curzon, a black slave, says,“‘You are a small black girl, Country,’ he said bitterly. ‘You are a slave, not a person. They’ll say things in front of you they won’t say in front of the white servants. ‘Cause you don’t count to them. It happens to me all the time.’” This quote exemplifies how lowly slaves were looked upon. To owners, slaves were just workers, not people who had feelings, thoughts, or a life. They did not view them as people. So, they were not respected nor were they given any freedom to do what they liked. Instead, they were given tedious tasks and were expected to carry them out as if they were machines who never got tired. To Isabel, freedom was being released from Lockton’s ownership over her and Ruth. This way, she and her sister could live how they wished, as free blacks. Furthermore, the article “Dunmore's Proclamation: A Time to Choose,” states, “It was not the opportunity to avenge themselves that caused them to join the British; it was the desire to secure freedom.” In addition, the article, “Fighting... Maybe for Freedom, but probably not” states, “Slaves and free blacks fought for the Continentals and for the British during the Revolutionary War.” During the Revolutionary War, black slaves either fought for the Patriots or the British. Black slaves knew that if they fought for the Patriots, their freedom was not a guarantee. However, the British promised the black slaves freedom and land if they fought for them. In order to gain and ‘secure’ their freedom, blacks started to join the British army. This shows how much the black slaves wanted freedom because they took a life risk and fought in the war to get freedom. The first quote exemplifies how black slaves were treated, and the second quote shows what they did to get out of ownership. The fact that black slaves fought in the war shows how much they wanted to be free and treated like any other person, which was how they viewed freedom and liberty.
In conclusion, freedom and liberty were viewed differently by the Loyalists, Patriots, and slaves. The Patriots declared that their freedom was separating from the oppressive rule of the British government and becoming a new nation, which would give them the liberty to make their own rules and run the country how they wished. The Loyalists, including Lockton, believed that freedom was being able to live under the British rule peacefully, which granted them the liberty to not be physically or verbally abused by people who believed otherwise. Similar to Isabel’s view on freedom and liberty, slaves defined their freedom as being free from their oppressive masters/owners. This would give them the liberty to choose how they wanted to lead their lives instead of being ordered by other people all the time. Freedom and liberty are words that bring a different vision to everyone’s minds. For some, freedom and liberty is as simple as being able to wear what they want. For others, freedom and liberty can be having racial equality. No matter what, freedom and liberty are important to everyone and everyone deserves to live the life that they envision.