American History: A Tale of Discriminatory Freedom
The story of America, from the creation of its colonies to the establishment of the United States constitution, is inarguably one which is centered on the ideas of liberty and freedom. Even before America’s European colonization, British citizens were dreaming of “a land of abundance, riches, and ease beyond the western horizon” (Foner 2), and the foreign soil across the sea presented the perfect opportunity for discovery and wealth. The beginning years of settlement, though tumultuous and challenging, established a collective determination and will to survive within the colonies; consequently, the new life in America sparked in its colonists the drive for individual power. Through a catalyst …show more content…
In “Winthrop’s Reasons for the Plantation” (1629), the attitude of the Puritans toward their settlement in Massachusetts Bay was hopeful and assured. The document states, on account of religious persecution in Great Britain, that “the [Christian] Church hath no place left to fly but to the wilderness” to escape the oppression; additionally, the Puritans believed the land to be “free to any that possess and improve it . . .”. Therefore, the Puritans decided to establish their colony with the concept of freedom in mind. They believed in both freedom to possess the American land, and in freedom from religious oppression in Great Britain under the Anglican-Catholic rule. Consequently, religion was at the center of colonial life, as British-Americans took advantage of their freedom to worship by regularly attending church and participating in baptisms (Foner 64 – 65). Around 1740, however, religion began to be seen as an unnecessary and unpractical aspect of colonial life; therefore, colonists began to redefine the concept of religious freedom from ‘freedom to worship’ to ‘freedom to not worship’, or ‘freedom to worship personally’, as the Great Awakening promoted (96, 157-160). Despite all the aforementioned religious situations associated with freedom, it remains that thousands of people lost their freedom on account of enforced religious practices. In regards to colonial life, the colonists were …show more content…
Whether it be through the struggle to grow the economy using the slave trade, the pursuit of religious freedom, or the deliberation over the United States constitution, no one freedom was achieved without another being obliterated. “Throughout the colonies, many residents enjoyed freedoms they had not possessed at home . . . . others found themselves confined to unfree labor for . . . an entire lifetime” (Foner 86). British citizens, eager to establish their own autonomy and conquer foreign lands, were blind to the fact that the pursuit of their own personal liberties would result in the bondage of thousands of other lives. Though it is undeniable that the effects of the American economic, social, and political developments have brought about a great and prosperous country today, we cannot ignore that our road to freedom came at an irrevocable
The story of America, from the creation of its colonies to the establishment of the United States constitution, is inarguably one which is centered on the ideas of liberty and freedom. Even before America’s European colonization, British citizens were dreaming of “a land of abundance, riches, and ease beyond the western horizon” (Foner 2), and the foreign soil across the sea presented the perfect opportunity for discovery and wealth. The beginning years of settlement, though tumultuous and challenging, established a collective determination and will to survive within the colonies; consequently, the new life in America sparked in its colonists the drive for individual power. Through a catalyst …show more content…
In “Winthrop’s Reasons for the Plantation” (1629), the attitude of the Puritans toward their settlement in Massachusetts Bay was hopeful and assured. The document states, on account of religious persecution in Great Britain, that “the [Christian] Church hath no place left to fly but to the wilderness” to escape the oppression; additionally, the Puritans believed the land to be “free to any that possess and improve it . . .”. Therefore, the Puritans decided to establish their colony with the concept of freedom in mind. They believed in both freedom to possess the American land, and in freedom from religious oppression in Great Britain under the Anglican-Catholic rule. Consequently, religion was at the center of colonial life, as British-Americans took advantage of their freedom to worship by regularly attending church and participating in baptisms (Foner 64 – 65). Around 1740, however, religion began to be seen as an unnecessary and unpractical aspect of colonial life; therefore, colonists began to redefine the concept of religious freedom from ‘freedom to worship’ to ‘freedom to not worship’, or ‘freedom to worship personally’, as the Great Awakening promoted (96, 157-160). Despite all the aforementioned religious situations associated with freedom, it remains that thousands of people lost their freedom on account of enforced religious practices. In regards to colonial life, the colonists were …show more content…
Whether it be through the struggle to grow the economy using the slave trade, the pursuit of religious freedom, or the deliberation over the United States constitution, no one freedom was achieved without another being obliterated. “Throughout the colonies, many residents enjoyed freedoms they had not possessed at home . . . . others found themselves confined to unfree labor for . . . an entire lifetime” (Foner 86). British citizens, eager to establish their own autonomy and conquer foreign lands, were blind to the fact that the pursuit of their own personal liberties would result in the bondage of thousands of other lives. Though it is undeniable that the effects of the American economic, social, and political developments have brought about a great and prosperous country today, we cannot ignore that our road to freedom came at an irrevocable