What Was The Role Of Freedom In The Revolutionary Era

The first permanent English colony in America was established in Jamestown, where slavery would later become prevalent. After the arrival of the Puritans in America, the idea of freedom began to play a role in colonial life. During the Enlightenment Era, the concepts of liberty and human rights gained popularity in American political culture. By the Revolutionary Era, freedom and liberty had become defining factors in American identity. It is one of the greatest ironies in history that during this time period, the African slave trade increased dramatically. During the decades following the American Revolution, millions of African slaves were imported into America. In this essay, I will argue that the idea of freedom in America was far less important than the institution of slavery. Some would posit that freedom played a dominant role in …show more content…
Constitution was drafted with the purpose of securing “liberty” for Americans. 13 However, this document only secured the liberty of white Americans. In order to increase southern political power, African slaves were counted as 3/5ths of a person. 14 This was incredibly dehumanizing to African-Americans. It established that runaway slaves would be returned to their masters in the slave-holding states, even if they had reached states where slavery was illegal. 15 It also promised federal military assistance to individual states in case of a slave insurrection. 16 Moreover, it prevented congress from closing the African slave trade until 1808.17 The Constitution caused much debate among American politicians. Congress allowed individual states to determine the fate of this new federalist system and Americans divided into two camps, Federalists and Anti-Federalists. Anti-Federalists championed state’s rights and feared that the new federal system would eventually abolish slavery.18 It is incomprehensible that the “liberty” they were fighting for was the right to own other human