Changing Of Liberty And Freedom

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Changing of Liberty and Freedom
The idea of liberty and freedom has changed throughout the centuries, originally the thought of having liberty was defined as “the right and power to believe, act, and express oneself as one chooses, of being free from restriction, and having the freedom of choice. It is the condition of having the power to act and speak without restraints” (“Difference Between Liberty and Freedom”). While freedom can be described as “...a momentum concept and deals with individuals in a relationship with others. It could be argued therefore that unless everyone is free, then no-one is free” (Hoffman). These two are both very similar in definition, and at many times can be confused with one another; but these two ideals helped shaped the society we live in today.
During the 18th century, society was different, and rapidly evolving, the government wasn’t the same, and the practice of democracy was quite rare at the time. Scholars also viewed liberty as the highest example of a well-developed society. We gather this by how Patrick Henry, a founding father and Politian, stated “I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me …show more content…
Without Self- determination, we wouldn’t have Dr. Martin L. King, Jr. and the civil rights movement. A good way to properly see the difference between the centuries is by looking at why people come to America any more. As John Hope Bryant states in his blog “The 21st Century Definition of Freedom: Self-Determination for All”, a car service with a Pakistani owner did not move to the United States because he wanted to ‘get rich’. He moved because of the freedom we have as citizens of this country. He moved so he could work hard and support his family, and moving to the land of the free gave him the ability to really try to obtain the pursuit of happiness. This encounter really showing how the ‘American dream’ really has

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