The American Concept Of Freedom - 1357 Words

The American concept of freedom is a constant source of debate. There is a difference in perspective, in expectation, in allowable expression of said freedoms within the confines of a mutually agreed upon societal contract as defined by legislation. The extremes define boundaries set by anarchy with total freedom and gulag like conditions with no freedom. Following the Civil War, during Reconstruction, the perspective of a share cropper may well have been that there was little to the idea of American freedom. Gender, age, religious affiliation, race, and socio-economic status of an individual has played a role in the freedom that the individual experienced in America. These changes in freedom have had many actors influencing the extent to which freedom has been afforded to some and denied others. Following the Civil War, many changes influenced how American citizens experienced freedom. The changes continue on through the twenty-first century suggesting that the process is ong oing. As the discussion of individual perspectives on the concept of American freedom is such a vast subject, some of the larger changes to specific groups are worth investigating. By far, the largest changes to the personal perspective of what the idea of American freedom meant occurred as a function of race. The methods by which these changes to freedom occurred as a function of race was by legal action, namely legislation, executive order and legal precedent. In order to focus theShow MoreRelatedThe Great Concept of American Freedom1435 Words   |  6 PagesThe Great Concept of American Freedom Early America was a place for anyone to live their life the way that they wanted, as it is now, but back then this was a new concept. Much of this idea comes from the freedoms obtained by living here. Many other countries in the world had many freedoms, but not as numerous as they were in America shortly after the country was founded. Americans during the late 1700s and early 1800s embraced their freedoms and became leaders and expanders, and what we now considerRead MoreEssay about The Great Concept Of American Freedom1412 Words   |  6 PagesThe Great Concept of American Freedom Early America was a place for anyone to live their life the way that they wanted, as it is now, but back then this was a new concept. Much of this idea comes from the freedoms obtained by living here. Many other countries in the world had many freedoms, but not as numerous as they were in America shortly after the country was founded. Americans during the late 1700s and early 1800s embraced their freedoms and became leaders and expanders, and what we nowRead MoreVarying Concepts of Freedom1515 Words   |  7 PagesThey answered clearly that freedom mean the capability to develop from one’s own labor and what was necessary to do this was the access to land. What was Freedom? The understanding of freedom of African-Americans was simply molded by their experiences as slaves and how they observed the free society surrounding them. African-Americans were delighted with the chance to demonstrate their freedom through liberation from regulations that were involved with slavery. Freedom during that time alteredRead MoreThe National Identity Of Being Amercian Essay779 Words   |  4 PagesOne 100 years from now, will Americans still have a sense of national identity ? Joonkyung(David) Chi, Class - 11:30 The national identity of being Amercian will be the concept of everyone. A. The prominent national identitiy of being American is the freedom.†¨ Today, The freedom may could be considered by the value of Amercian. 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Admittedly, what I’ve come to learnRead MoreEssay on American Philosophy514 Words   |  3 PagesAmerican Philosophy In all its forms, American philosophy emphasizes freedom and the supreme importance of the individual. Indeed, an examination of four major American writers shows these concepts in all four main schools of American thought-- Epicureanism, Transcendentalism, Pragmatism, and Protestantism. Epicureanism is the pursuit of pleasure in order to avoid pain. This philosophy is very American. One of the most famous American-Epicureans is Walt Whitman. Whitman is, perhapsRead MoreThe Intellectual Movement of Elightment759 Words   |  3 PagesEnlightenment was a very intricate movement that was centralized on the concepts of progression, reasoning, and the scientific method. The Enlightenment thinkers believed they could implement some of these ideas towards societies and people. These ideas changed how humanity viewed the government, politics, and society. 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