What Does It Mean To Be Free? Essay Example
What Does It Mean To Be Free? Essay Example

What Does It Mean To Be Free? Essay Example

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  • Pages: 5 (1322 words)
  • Published: April 1, 2022
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The American (and English) concept of freedom closely relates to property and the liberty to exercise one’s will when one is in his/her own land. It also relates to being able to do one’s pleasure with one’s property. An individual at his home should feel free of social pressure, social obligations, rules, and authority (Fischer, 2004). In the 18th century, Americans severed ties with the British monarchy and repossessed their land when they declared their independence. Before that time, the English king accorded concessions e.g. Carolina or Virginia to the colonists. The land the British colonized became part of the royal territory rather than the colonists’ property. This legal system was one of the prompts that caused the British colonies to claim their autonomy and establish the United States of America (Fischer, 2004). Apart from the notion

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that freedom lies in owning property, other freedoms that the Constitution grants include the freedom of speech, religion, and even the right to bear arms (Foner, 2013). Freedom, as an ideal that defines our nation, has been achieved unevenly. There were several ages where freedom was contested in the US including the Reconstruction, the Gilded Age, and the Progressive Era, and the First World War.

The Reconstruction Era began in 1865 after the Civil War and lasted until 1877 (Foner, 2013). It involved the rebuilding of the South to upgrade the rights of the freedmen. It was a critical chapter in the chronicles of civil rights in the US for the freedom of the blacks in the South was still uncertain. White Southerners tried to reestablish their dominance over the African-Americans through discrimination, intimidation, and violence, compelling the latte

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into second class citizenship with restricted rights and debarring them from taking part in the political process. The repressive black codes, which were designed to constrain the activities of the freed blacks and ensure they were available as labor force (Eoct). The ideas about freedom, which revolved around ending black suffrage, remained basically the same until the end of the Reconstruction in 1877. Radical republicans as well as the blacks themselves wanted more freedom through ending black suffrage while the white Southerners sought less of it. Freedom was restricted by the black codes but extended by the passing of the Civil Right Act in 1867, which made it possible for the blacks to vote and vie for elective positions (Foner, 2013).

The Gilded Age came about as the Reconstruction was nearing its end and lasted till the onset of the Progressive epoch (Foner, 2013). It was a period of swift economic growth more so in the North and the West. The wage rates in the United States, particularly for skilled workers, were significantly higher than those in Europe and the Far East. This difference resulted in an influx of immigrants from various parts of the civilized world into the United States. Increasing industrialization led to a 60% wage rate growth by 1890 (Foner, 2013). The ideas of freedom shifted from black suffrage that prevailed during the Reconstruction Era to ending corruption, greed, and guile that marked this age. Inequality and abject poverty dominated the millions of immigrants from impoverished nations of Europe flooded into the US. Wealth became highly concentrated (Eoct). The weighty matters were cultural, revolving around racial or ethnic groups, education, and prohibition, and

economic, i.e. money supply and tariffs. Labor Unions became critical as the industries expanded rapidly (Eoct).

There were labor violence, racial tensions, discontent among the jobless, and militancy amongst farmers (Foner, 2013). Freedom meant the reformation of the social and economic systems. Labor unions demanded more freedom and campaigned for the abolition of child labor and enforcement of the eight-hour working day. The middle-class reformers too called for civil service reform, women’s suffrage, and prohibition (Foner, 2013). The passing of the Civil Service Act sought to extend freedom by containing corruption in the government by necessitating competitive for examination for certain jobs in government. The Sherman Antitrust Act made business monopolies illegal, and the Interstate Commerce Act worked to end railroads discrimination of small shippers (Foner, 2013).

The Progressive Era was an epoch of widespread political reforms and social activism throughout the United States. Several far-reaching social and economic changes including innovations in mass entertainment and communication, science and technology, health and living standards, gender roles, economic productivity, conceptions of freedoms, and the government’s role transformed the American society. The era lay between the 1890s and the 1920s (Foner, 2013). Freedom revolved around the concept of democracy and there was no apparent shift from the ideas of reform that characterized the Gilded Age. The same sentiments were echoed throughout this era (Eoct). Progressivism is a pseudonym for a broad range of moral, social, economic, and political reforms. It included initiatives to regulate sweat shops and child labor, outlaw the selling of alcohol, ensure wholesome and pure milk and water, scientifically control natural resources, Americanize immigrants, and regulate trusts (Eoct). The progressives, who chiefly comprised the urban middle

class who had some level of college education, e.g. teachers, ministers, lawyers, businessmen, and physicians (Foner, 2013), demanded more freedom. They sought to eradicate corruption in government, address health perils, regulate business practices, and enhance working conditions. They fought to extend freedom by enabling the public to gain more control of the government via direct primaries to propose the contestants for public offices, direct popular vote for senators, the recall, referendum, and initiative, and women’s suffrage (Foner, 2013).

At the local levels, the progressives sought to extend freedom by expanding high schools, end red-light districts, build playing grounds, and swap fraudulent urban political apparatus with more efficient types of municipal governments (Eoct). Progressives also set up minimum wage regulations for women workers, limited child labor, improved industrial laws, and established factory accident insurance at the state levels (Eoct). At the federal echelon, Congress extended freedom by strengthening antitrust legislation and further enacting laws establishing federal control over rail-road, drug, and meat-packing industries. It also passed regulation to improve the conditions of work, lowered the tariff, and set up federal control over the banks (Eoct). The four constitutional amendments that were embraced during this era authorized income tax, provided for the direct balloting for senators, extended voting rights to women, and prohibited the processing and sale of alcoholic beverage (Foner, 2013).

I must confess that I have learned a lot about the history of the United States since I started this course. The only thing I knew about the United States before my joining is that it was a British colony and attained its independence in 1776. However, as of now I see things in a new light.

To begin with is the fact that I understand that the US history is characterized by monumental struggles that involved the loss of precious human lives. There was the Civil War amongst other things. Currently, I see the US history as more bloody than I did before. Understanding this history has enabled me to appreciate the fact that we as a nation have come a long way to reach where we are today, i.e. a state of racial and gender parity. It has increased my appreciation for the present state of things of which I often took for granted. When I am called upon to explain what the history of the United States is all about to someone who has no background information, I will summarize it in three words, “fight for equality.” Right from the reconstruction up until the Second World War the United States has had class struggles of all sorts, from racial groups striving for dominance to socioeconomic class wrangles for fairness. For a surety, I now believe that this nation has been through a lot more than many might think.

References

  1. Fischer, D. H. (2004). Liberty and Freedom: A Visual History of America's Founding Ideas (America: a cultural history). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  2. Foner, E. (2013). Give Me Liberty! An American History (4th Ed.) (Vol. 2). New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Company.
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