Evolution of African Americans' Concept of Freedom
“How did the notion of freedom change over time for one group of Americans?”
For this essay, students will choose a group of Americans and write about how that group’s ideas of freedom changed over time, from the end of the American Civil War (Chapter 15) to the end of World War II (Chapter 22). Students can choose on write on either African Americans, Asian Americans, or Native Americans; or students can choose to write on women’s history; or students can choose to write on farmers, or labor activists, or social activists, or any other identified group as long as they get the approval of the instructor beforehand.
Eric Foner’s Give Me Liberty! has primary source documents sprinkled through the sections of the texts. The documents are listed under two different titles. One group are called “Voices of Freedom,” and provide examples of public statements by Americans having to do with the idea of freedom. Another group are called “Visions of Freedom,” and offer images that were associated with freedom (There are other images in the book that can be included in this category as well, and students may use these as well for the purpose of this essay.)
For this essay, students will be required to write a 1000-word paper based upon at least two primary documents from Foner, chapters 15 – 22, and other textual materials from at least three chapters in Foner, from chapters 15 -22. Documents and textual materials should be on one identified group of Americans. The expectation is that the essay be on the ideas of freedom expressed by that group and how these expressions changed over time. Students are required to write at least a paragraph on each of the chosen primary sources, and to cite at least three chapters at least once. Essays that build a historical argument and narrative, supported by the evidence found in the documents and the text will receive the highest grades.
Evolution of African Americans' Concept of Freedom
Name
Institution
Course
Institution
Due Date
Evolution of African Americans' Concept of Freedom
The period between the end of the Civil War in 1865 to 1945 witnessed a significant transformation in the African American community's idea of freedom. An analysis of various primary sources produced during the period highlights the evolving perceptions of freedom within the African American population, detailing key events, movements, and individuals that shaped their struggle for equality and liberation. From the hope ignited by Emancipation to the disillusionment of Reconstruction and the emergence of the Civil Rights Movement, African Americans experienced profound shifts in their understanding and pursuit of freedom during this transformative era.
The end of the Civil War marked the formal abolition of slavery with the Emancipation Proclamation and the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment. This pivotal moment instilled a sense of hope and newfound aspirations for African Americans and their conceptualization of freedom primarily revolved around the acquisition of basic civil rights, access to education, and economic independence. The African American perspective on freedom following the end of the civil war is evident from the petition written by freedmen to President Andrew Jackson following his enactment of a policy that reversed the ownership of land previously distributed to free slaves back to former owners (Foner, Duval, & McGirr, 2023, pp. 35). In the petition, the freedmen note that they should be accorded equal rights as other members of the newly formed Union. Freedmen assert that the policy was injurious to their freedom as it consigned them to the will of large landowners. The main request that the freedman made in the petition was that they should be allowed to purchase land just like other American citizens. The importance of African American accessing basic human rights is also evident from an 1883 lithograph, From the Plantation to the Senate (Foner, Duval, & McGirr, 2023, pp. 65). The artwork shows African Americans enjoying basic civil rights such as political representation, land ownership, and education, among others. The African Americans considered the ability to enjoy basic human rights such as economic independence as indispensable to their freedom in the newly formed Union.
However, African Americans had to reconceptualize their view of freedom with the rise of white supremacy and the withdrawal of federal troops following the end of the Reconstruction Era. The introduction of Jim Crow laws and the increased retreat from racial equality means that the notion of freedom for African Americans shifted to focus on survival, self-determination, and the preservation of community institutions, such as churches and schools. The speech delivered by Idah B. Well in 1893 Boston highlight the revised view of freedom as her emphasis was raising awareness on the unfairness of the Lynch laws as they were implemented in the country (Foner, Duval, & Mc...