New Freedom Speech By Brenna Brennan

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Recommended: PHILOSOPHY OF progressivism

Brennan supported the Progressive belief that civilization must seek to advance society as a whole not on an individual basis. Brennan’s philosophy on the nature of government mirrored that of Progressives like Woodrow Wilson and Theodore Roosevelt. Wilson highlighted the evolutionary necessity of the government to adapt in his New Freedom Speech, “The old political formulas do not fit the present problems; they read now like documents taken out of a forgotten age” The government established by the Constitution provided a basic framework for government; however, as the nation continued to evolve, so must our interpretation of that historic document. For Brennan “The genius of the Constitution rests not in any static meaning it might have had in a world that is dead and gone, but in the adaptability of its great principles to cope with current problems and current needs.” Brennan believed that the ultimate purpose of the Constitution was to protect the human dignity of all citizens. Theodore Roosevelt echoed these ideas in his Columbus Speech, “All constitutions…are designed, and must be interpreted and administered so as to fit human rights.” …show more content…

Throughout the course of history, we have slowly witnessed the evolution of property in the United States. The original intent of the Declaration of Independence was to protect the property rights of the people; however, over time the government’s role has evolved to become regulators of property. Brennan was alarmed by the growing power that the government exhibited over the people. During Roosevelt’s speech on the Ohio Constitution CHECK THIS SOURCE “We Progressives believe that the people have the right, the power, and the duty to protect themselves and their own welfare; that human rights are supreme over all other rights; that wealth should be the servant, not the master, of the

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