Essay: How free is America really?

The idea of freedom or liberty is the cornerstone of what it means to be an American; for America is the land of the free and the home of the brave. However, the question of what it means to be free is a different. Renowned historian, Eric Foner, argues that what it means to be free is something that has changed over the course of American history. He believes that as different groups of people such as blacks, immigrants, and women become accepted parts of the population, the American definition of freedom changes to accommodate their needs and desires. Foner’s argument is based off the different groups which sought acceptance in America. These groups, while all very different, were each in search of the fundamental right to participate in the government and be represented; the right to vote. The definition of freedom in America is the ability to participate in the government. This American definition has not changed, but the laws of the land have evolved over time to more fully comply with its meaning of freedom.
At the advent of American society, the right to vote was established among white males as the chief principle of freedom. The right to vote and to participate in government was regarded as what it meant to be free because government activity had a profound effect on daily life. Popularized by James Otis Jr., the phrase “no taxation without representation” emphasized a desire to be involved in the ever influential politics and parliament of Great Britain. The American Revolution was begun on the search for freedom; the search for inclusion in government.
During the founding period, the idea of freedom was being established by men like James Otis Jr., but this did not mean that all Americans were free. The Declaration of Independence clearly states that “all men are created equal”, and although it is a seemingly positive line, it is practically meaningless. The most clear omission from the statement is that women are not included in the overarching equality. However, the idea that even men are created equal is not a true of American government at the founding period. The Constitution did not establish voting qualifications, so states could individually determine who could vote in elections. States then barred anyone who was not a white, land owning male from voting. Some states went even further in order to ensure that only some of those who fit the specification could vote. For example, Delaware required voters to own fifty acres of land or property worth £40, Rhode Island required land valued at £40 or worth an annual rent of £2, and Connecticut required land worth an annual rent of £2 or livestock worth £40. These rules and regulations inhibited freedom in America. The vast majority of people at the time could not meet these requirements and so they were not free. Eventually, in 1856, North Carolina became the final state to remove the property qualification for voting. By 1856, America was not free by any standard. The only people who could have an effect on daily life through law and government were white men. The idea of freedom in the founding period was participation in the government, but this was barely acted upon.
The laws of the Civil War and Reconstruction eras brought America closer to its true definition of freedom. After a Union victory in the Civil War, the Radical Republicans ratified the 15th amendment, granting black men the right to vote. By ratifying the 15th Amendment, Congress pushed America forward towards a future of being truly free. This right to vote was almost immediately used to elect 14 black men to the house of representatives, and 2 black men to the senate over the course of 10 years. The short timespan between the passing of the fifteenth amendment and the election of black officials was no coincidence. The importance and significance of the vote was immediately understood and utilized by the black population. Blacks could now express their own opinions and make decisions that they felt would be best for themselves. No longer were they subject to the rulings of white men, their voice could now be heard. Lyndon B. Johnson further protected this right by passing the Voting Rights Act of 1965 which banned literacy tests and allowed for investigations of poll taxes; both of which had been used to stop blacks from voting. As a result of the act, black voting in Mississippi increased 53% from 1964 to 1969. The dramatic increase in voter turnout displays what voting meant to the black people of the time. It was something important, something to protest about, and something to fight for, because to vote meant to be free.
The abuse of the vote during the Gilded Age forced America backwards in its search for freedom. At the beginning of the Gilded Age, the right to vote was well established. However, this right was severely compromised by the corruption of political machines. Political machines rendered the right to vote useless due to a total disregard for the democratic system. At the head of one of the largest political machines was William “Boss” Tweed of Tammany Hall. In a testimony before the New York Board of Aldermen, Tweed was quoted saying “The [voting] ballots made no result; the counters made the result” in a response to a question of how votes were counted in the various New York districts. The political corruption in Tammany Hall, though at an extreme end of the spectrum of corruption, sheds light on the meaning of the vote. Americans were not able to exercise their right to vote because corporations and corrupt organizations were in control of the government.  As a response to the corruption and assassination of President Garfield by an unhappy member of a machine, the Pendleton act was passed. The Pendleton act restored American freedom to its original status prior to the Gilded Age. The act implemented a civil service exam for government jobs and prevented those who held federal jobs from donating to their political party, thus eliminating the corruption of the Gilded Age. The civil service exam protected the freedoms of Americans by still allowing them to participate in the government but more importantly giving them effective persons to vote for. Americans became more free by having a vote that actually counted and having the opportunity to vote for candidate that would properly represent their needs and desires.
The success of the women’s suffrage movement marked America’s accordance with its definition of freedom. Women were the final major group to be granted voting rights, which occurred on August 18, 1920. Women across America regarded voting as an essential freedom, holding up signs at protests which read “To ask freedom for women is not a crime” and “Mr. President, How long must women wait for liberty?” The suffragists of the time directly likened voting to freedom.  Using words like freedom and liberty, suffragists defined voting as an integral part of American freedom. A suffrage broadside from 1910 claims that women should be able to vote because “laws which affect women are passed without consulting them” and that “those who obey the laws should help choose the laws”. These two demands are substantively identical to the demands of no taxation without representation during the Revolutionary era. The women were unrepresented and held hostage by a system over which they have zero control. In a 1904 journal article, Ida Husted Harper laments that in many villages a third of the taxpayers are women and account for 431,153 jobs in various professions while making up ¾ of church membership, but it is unjust that women pay their “full proportion of taxes” but are “denied the political influence which is the protection of working men. Women truly viewed suffrage as a major part of freedom and a means to more achievement. They weren’t any different from the founders in 1776, but America was different. The passing of the 19th amendment gave a voice to women, it gave them freedom.
Over the course of American history, as more citizens gained the right to vote and take part in government ongoings, America became a more free place. From its humble beginnings, a government for the people and by the people was the focus of American politics and American freedom. Once this was finally achieved, America became free. The right to vote is freedom in its purest form. It gives Americans unprecedented control over the government of the country, and allows each and every opinion to be heard. AMerica will only remain free, though, if the populace votes. In a time and place where voter turnout of 50% is a good election year, the question of how free America really is becomes valid. Those who both speak out against civic injustices and governmental transgressions and fail to vote shackle themselves. Freedom was fought for, and won, for every American at some point in history, and to neglect the opportunity to vote is to neglect freedom.