Freedom: America’s Biggest Lie

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Freedom: America’s Biggest Lie The bells of liberty and freedom have become symbols that characterize the patriotic nature of America. Our precious country was founded on these universal principles that have become “unalienable rights” of our Constitution. Freedom is more than the ability to express oneself – it is a manifestation of individualism, creative thought, and the inborn desire to think freely and innovate. While Americans cherish their fundamental right to freedom, the definition of freedom has seen drastic changes in American history and has been manipulated to deny freedom to various groups of people. Freedom is an American quality that changes according to the social conditions of the time period. From the birth of American freedom during colonial times, to the stripping of rights and enslavement of millions of African Americans, to the cry for economic freedom in the 20th century, freedom is a multi-faceted quality that has caused ruptures in American history. Freedom was born in America as retaliation to the oppression of Great Britain during the 17th and 18th centuries. During this time period, Great Britain sought to tighten its control over its colonies after a period of neglect and solitude. Britain now wanted to take every advantage possible from colonial America with heavy taxes and unjust laws, including the Stamp Act, Navigation Laws, and the Intolerable Acts. The cry “taxation without representation” that was echoed throughout the thirteen colonies was a plea for freedom; this allowed for rebellious sentiment to ferment and spread like wildfire. The Revolutionary War was a manifestation of centuries-long yearning for freedom. This break from Britain led colonial America into a new era as a nation, The Un... ... middle of paper ... ...etween Republicans and Democrats often limits our expression of freedom. Finally, freedom now represents the quality of life and security that is available to all Americans. This quality of life is determined by several factors, including, but not limited to: an equal opportunity for all to receive an education, adequate health care, and security. Freedom, thus, is continually changing as society continues to evolve. Historian Mark Bloch once said, “The idea of liberty is one in which each epoch reshapes to its own liking” (Loss). As time goes on and social conditions change, Americans will have to fight for their cherished value of freedom and define it accordingly. Freedom is an American quality that has generated a considerable amount of discussion, more than any other in history. Freedom, by far, is America’s defining value and has changed along with America.

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