Evolving Meaning of Freedom

Kristal Rheiner

Professor Nash

HIST 2010

9 July 2015

The Evolution of Freedom: 1607 to 1877

Freedom is defined by Merriam-Webster as “the state of being free or at liberty rather than in confinement or under physical restraint, the power to determine action without restraint, political or national independence, and personal liberty, as opposed to bondage or slavery.” The meaning of freedom that the United States was founded on has evolved into many different meanings. Individuals and different groups of people have their own opinions on what freedom is and what it means to them. The definition of freedom meant the colonists could be free from Britain’s rule and in the future it also meant that the slaves could demand their freedoms, something that was unheard of on America’s first founding definition of freedom. The meaning of freedom was defined and redefined many times through the time span of 1607 to 1877 in many different ways whether it was individuals, major events, or groups of people.

Europeans had a dreamed of a land where they could truly be free long before the days of Columbus’s trek to find the New World. Europeans held a vision of America being a land of the free where they could worship in any way they wanted, a nation that practiced equality, and a land of power and glory. America offered to Europeans a land of opportunities that they lacked in Europe, where there was an unequal social order and churches that dictated one specific religion. The first meaning of freedom for America was to be able to practice any religion under God, to own land, leave oppression, and raise a family. This definition often changed throughout history.

In 1607, three ships carrying colonists from England sailed into Chesapeake Bay, which eventually led to the establishment of Jamestown. Jamestown was the first permanent English settlement in the area that is now known as the United States of America. In North America, many sought to make a fortune, many sought...