The American Revolution: The Definition Of Freedom

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

from the Indians and African-Americans to women, immigrants and the people of each American state. To each, freedom ensues different aspirations and goals and throughout time, freedom has molded around these ideas. The concept of the developmental ideas of freedom is clearly depicted through the American Revolution, the foundation of independent America, and the American Civil War.
The American Revolution is an important piece of history that shows a strong development of American ideas of freedom. In colonial America, a strong sense of inequality had always been present in freedom.

It is shown by pointing out specific groups of people such as the Native American Indians who were seen as savages and unfit for citizenship in the developing areas of America or women who were also seen as unfit for citizenship, but were stuck in the chains of gender roles as being lesser of status to the white male. Throughout the years leading up to the American Revolution, it is seen that many definitions of freedom pointed to land-ownership and, predominately, being a white man. As the struggle intensified toward the American Revolution, we see the highest levels of inequality, but as the ideas of freedom expanded, “American freedom would be forever linked with the idea of equality,” although many were nowhere near obtaining equality (page 213). With the compelling push toward independence, voting, religious toleration, and economic freedom were pushed into the limelight of what it meant to be truly free in America. During this time, many attempted to define what it means to have religious freedom or economic freedom, but it had always been up for debate. The question of many: How does one know who should have the “right” to be engrained in government, religion, or the economy? It is clear to see there was a powerful grasp on

independent freedom with the property qualifications of voting, the exclusion of all but white men in voting and government, and the prejudice exemption of Catholics, Jews and Dissenting Protestants in any part of government or voting. When the American Revolution reached its peak, the molding definition of freedom emerged as “a universal entitlement rather than a set of rights specific to a particular place or people” (page 233). As this expanded, it raised an innumerable amount of questions that developed into the reach for attainment of the somewhat unobtainable freedom for African-American slaves, those of an excluded religious group and women. Ultimately, in the end, freedom has been seen to change life and society of many in itself in which African-Americans challenged the idea of slavery, women found a new-found freedom in companionship marriages, but it also increased the inequality of Indians and lose still loyal to Britain in which freedom bounded leaps and strides away from their individual sense of “free.” As America emerged as an independent nation, freedom, once again, is challenged in its new-found independence.
The evolving concept of freedom is clearly depicted during the founding of independent America including the American Constitution. When America became an independent nation, freedom took on a new role as what liberties and rights should be available to the people. After the first written constitution—the Articles of Confederation—was reconsidered, a new constitution emerged along with the new ideals of what free government constituted. Gouverneur Morris added the final words in the new constitution of America and made a connection throughout the entire country by including “We the people of the United States” (page 262). Who were considered the people? It is clear to see that many were excluded in the “people” including slaves, in which the constitution adopted clauses that embodied slavery in the independent United States. The clear irony here is that although they have become “free,” it did not mean the same for many other groups residing in the states especially because parts of the constitution had declared that “all men are by nature born free” when in fact many are born as slaves (page 262). In fact, each state was given the rights of freedom to choose what would be supported in that specific state, including slavery. They also wanted to find solutions of western expansion by removing the Indians to other parts not established by the white population which once again, excluded the Indians in any sort of tangible freedom. By limiting others freedom, white men found themselves having more freedom. The Constitution does identify the groups residing in America, including the Indians, slaves, and the rest of the white population in which “only the third [group, the white population] were entitled to American freedom” (page 272). There was much debate among the states as to how the constitution supported their freedom, and ultimately, it ended in the creation of a bill of rights that created a list of the unalienable rights for the people of America. It was fear among many that with more governmental control, they would lose their freedoms and rights, but it was argued tremendously that the new government, including a system of checks and balances and a division of powers, was there as “an expression of freedom, not its enemy” (page 263). Inclusively, the idea of freedom only extended to a select few and the slaves and Indian population saw their grasp on freedom drift further and further away. Tensions continued to rise over the years after the United States was considered an independent nation, and the tensions cracked during the lead up to the Civil War in America.
The years throughout the Civil War increasingly depicts the transformations of the meaning of freedom in America.

The Civil War projected the growing tensions of true liberty amidst the people of the United States. Freedom expanded to two different spectrums from the North to the South with the North seeing that “freedom meant for each man to enjoy the product of his labor” while the South saw freedom as “convey[ing] mastership—the power to do as they please with other men, and the product of other men’s labor” (page 528). As shown, especially in slavery, many have enjoyed a greater freedom by taking other’s freedoms away, but interestingly enough, the North held the majority of freedom’s definition in America during this time. As the Civil War progressed, white men and black men fought side by side to protect their great country and with this, the molding beliefs of freedom revealed itself. How does one not retain unalienable rights while fighting just the same and dying just the same as their counterparts? Blacks were finally able to project their expressions of liberty and prove that they strived for freedom just as any man. Emancipation for slaves was center staged during the war and there was a strong stand against stripping those of their freedom. Along with slaves, many brave women emerged during this time to fill a growing need as more and more men enlisted to fight in the Civil War and these women took on roles predominately reserved for men such as government

positions or nurses. Although women were not up front in battle, they served a purpose that expressed their support, their desire to obtain freedom, and with many, the emancipation of the slaves. The Civil War ended with the victory of the Union and with it, the emancipation of the slaves on January 31, 1865. Emancipation called for another reconsideration of freedom and what freedom entailed became the central question during the time after the Civil War in America. Freedom was now on the chopping block of debate of how they would use the new freedom and expand it to all Americans. Although there will always be debate, freedom with forever be centralized in the development of America.
The American Revolution, the development of independent America and the American Civil War proves the extent to which the definition of freedom has molded throughout history. It is clear how different time periods shroud a concrete definition of freedom. There have been innumerable struggles to find tangible freedom for “the freedom to” and “the freedom from” for incredible amounts of people. From colonial America, to independent America, even to now, the ideas of freedom form a developmental process. Throughout history, it is clear to what a wide span of people, societies and countries create the freedom that defines them during that time. By looking at the history of African-Americans, women’s suffrage, the native Americans, and the immigrants who have travelled to America, freedom has wrapped itself around not only individualistic ideas, but of society as a whole. As throughout history, freedom will forever continue to expand, develop and mold around life and society as a whole.