The Limits of Freedom Essay Sample

There have been many bounds to people’s freedom since America was discovered. One that stands out to me the most is the modification of a person’s freedom because they are a slave or an apprenticed retainer.

Both work forces and adult females held the places of slaves or apprenticed retainers. and they were non treated as one should be treated. There is a missive in Voices of Freedom in the text that is from Elizabeth Sprigs and it is addressed to her male parent conveying frontward many ailments she has gotten from the apprenticed retainers. She points out to her male parent that ; they don’t have much nutrient. even maize is scarce. She besides brings up the point that the apprenticed retainers are provided with a agency to hold proper vesture. To cite Elizabeth Springs “almost naked no places nor carrying to have on. ( Foner. 118 ) ” You can state from the manner that she is composing this missive that she is upset by what she sees and hears. “Let it suffice that I am one of the unhappy figure. ” The last issue she brings up to her male parent in this missive is that. after a long twenty-four hours of work. when they want to rest. all they have to rest with is a cover and the land. Her concluding addressing to her male parent is that. “if you have any bowels of compassion left show it by directing me some alleviation. ” She wanted him to direct the things that these people needed to last a daily life. merely the bare necessities.

I feel that one of the biggest bounds of a person’s freedom in this category would be the limited freedom of the slaves. Slaves worked difficult daily making everything they were asked to make. They weren’t provided with nice populating agreements or proper vesture to maintain them warm. They were considered about the underside of the totem pole so to talk. even though they did all the work for their proprietor. African American slaves had even fewer rights than white adult females. These slaves weren’t even considered to be a portion of the society ; they were lower than everyone else. They weren’t allowed to travel to the same schools or even use the same bathrooms. These did non hold the nicest adjustments and weren’t kept up to par. Table 4. 1 in the text edition shows a tabular array with the per centums of population for assorted provinces. Virginia was the province with the highest population. 187. 600 entire slaves. but South Carolina has the highest per centum based on population. A per centum of 61 % . that’s more than half of their general population.

This supports my thesis of their bounds of freedom because with that many of slaves. how can one anticipate to hold even half manner nice life conditions which. I feel is a basic freedom for anyone. On page 170 of the text. there is a extract from Voices of Freedom that is a portion of Olaudah Equano’s autobiography. This autobiography gave an history of the experience of this slave. specifically his auction. For a individual to be sold as nil more than a ‘piece of meat’ goes against any freedom we have as a individual. No 1 deserves to be degraded and the sold to the highest bidder. In this extract he discusses how they are confined in such little infinites and how they are separated from their friends and their household. On his remembering the auction. he mentions how you could hear the calls from people being separated and experience the emotion they all shared.

The text has another spot from Voices of Freedom that fits to this subject. It is from the “Petitions of slaves to the Massachusetts Legislature. ” It is about how many slaves were cognizant of their battle and saw a possible chance to take their ain freedom. “Your suppliants apprehend that they have in common with all other work forces a natural and inalienable right to that freedom which the great parent of the universe hath bestowed every bit on all world and which they have ne’er forfeited… ( Foner. 239 ) ” This shows that those composing this felt that they deserved all the right of anyone else and that it was their right as God had said. And it continues to travel on and discourse how they were “dragged by the manus of cruel power from their dearest friends. ” This references how they were torn off from household and friends. and unable to hold that freedom to love and hold a happy household. Their concluding idea was how they had “patently waited the event of request after request by them presented to the legislative organic structure. ( Foner. 239 ) ” here it is shown that they ne’er gave up seeking to acquire their rights. that they were traveling to maintain seeking even if they were shot down. They felt that they should hold those freedoms that other people had. and they showed that they were traveling to contend for those rights as human existences. no affair what it took.

In decision. the freedoms of human existences were limited at assorted times during our history. whether it was take downing or degrading. or merely kick incorrect. From adult females. to apprenticed retainers. to slaves. all people are equal and should be treated as such. No person’s freedoms should be limited because of their race or gender. I feel as though these illustrations prove that while we believe “all work forces are created equal. ” we as American’s didn’t execute those words decently.