Freedom in America

America is the universal symbol of freedom. But is it really free? Does the history of the United States stay true to the ideas of our forefathers? Or has the definition been altered to fit American policies? Has freedom defined America? Or has America defined freedom? I believe America was at first defined by freedom, then after time, America defined freedom, altering the definition to fit the niche it fits in, but still keeping key components so it still seems to be staying true to the ideas of America’s founding fathers. When the colonists from England came to America to escape religious and social prosecution, political constrains, and economic hardship, they had a utopia of freedom in mind, which they did set up in the new world. America guaranteed religious tolerance, political anarchy, and economic freedom. America was defined by freedom. America was freedom. But later colonists did not have a free colony in mind; they wanted to wall in a section of this free country and conduct their own intolerant society inside those isolating walls. In those regions, such as the Puritan colonies in Massachusetts, did not tolerate other religions, and enforced strict rules, creating a totalitarian hierarchy headed by the church and followed by parents of oppressed children because of their constraining religion. Since then, America has been defining freedom: the Puritans established a free colony; one that was free from other religions’ prosecution. But their colony itself decided which freedoms a colonist may have, and which ones he or she may not have. Freedom was offered, but only in selected categories. Then after a few decades, the United States’ founding fathers exterminated this flaw of society by writing the Constitution, uniting all colonies to form a nation, and set the boundaries of freedom, which back then was quite lax and comforting. The freedoms offered included a wide spectrum, not limited like the present day. The freedom was free. As the United

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