Freedom Definition

Before taking this course, my definition of freedom was defined as being able to live a life according to the law, and that by abiding by political sanctions and policies would one then be granted their freedom to pursue a life of happiness and prosperity under the United States’ government. Throughout history, the definition of freedom was changed and manipulated in favor of whites’ political, economic, and social desires. Those in power made drastic decisions when exerting their authority that have shaped my new definition of freedom. Various topics covered in class have made it clear to me that the line of freedom is not drawn at politics; many social factors have had a hand in outlining an American’s freedom, such as race and sex. Negotiations …show more content…
The Indian removal itself shows how people will manipulate freedom to benefit from the outcome, which in this case is the land that Indians occupied. The act forcefully encouraged established Indian societies east of the Mississippi to abandon the comfort of their homes and lives in order to move west of the Mississippi. The Cherokee in Georgia are a great example of a stable Indian society where they felt their social independence allowed them access to social freedom sans interference from whites. (Lecture 11-8) Andrew Jackson and his Indian Removal Act disregarded the social freedoms that were already given to and claimed by the Native Americans who had assimilated into the white culture desired by Americans. Even tribe leaders who made a concerted effort towards “civilization” did not suffice as enough reason for Jackson to abandon the inhumane act of relocation. (Wallace 58) Opposite from slave negotiations, the Indian removal did not allow Indians any rights, especially social freedom. It cannot be forgotten that people who had worked diligently for the life they wanted had it stripped from them because their race was believed to have “…sexual and aggressive tendencies…”. (Wallace 13) It seems that the American’s definition of freedom has formed as an apology to the racial horrors and desecrated rights in the …show more content…
The most compelling piece of evidence regarding Rogers’ impact on social freedom is the market revolution—a mainly economic phenomenon—affecting her social exploits. Women in this period were just beginning to break away from the confines of the traditional housewife career because of the market revolution; the economic shift is responsible for opening up factories and jobs within those factories that women daring enough to break traditional roles were able to fulfill. The market revolution also caused a leap in the population, and people became anonymous among the masses of strangers. Rogers’ used her sexuality and newly acquired anonymity to her advantage when interacting with men. (Srebnik 34) Because of New York’s updated social atmosphere, Rogers’ could find herself among promiscuous women who shared a desire for sexual freedom. Traditional boundaries were being threatened as it tied sexuality with social class and left women with fewer and fewer options for a future. Rogers’ social and sexual activities caused her to become known by her sexuality rather than her “…dress and manners that fixed social position in the metropolis.” (Srebnik 48) It is her death and the social impact it had on sexuality in Antebellum America during a booming economic event that are important for the future of sex and its role in defining freedom. It goes to prove that the market revolution was more than an