The United States has been known as the “Land of the Free,” “Land of the brave,” and many more other referral words that make it a great nation. It is known from history as the land where everyone is welcome and can make great life. The history of the United States is profound with its rise to the top as the country that is most powerful after the fall of European giants. The opportunities that the land offered to its settlers have continued to be felt till date. But of importance is the freedom from tyranny that America offers its citizens. Culminated in the Constitution is the fact that the country takes seriously individual liberty and this can be seen through important events in the past ( Farber & Sherry, 1990) . This paper focuses on the individual liberty and why America is the land of the free. It seeks to identify the important events in the history of the United States that suggest it upholds the name. This is by looking at the constitution, landmark Supreme Court cases, and state and local laws.
The founding of the US has profound meaning and sacrifices that were made by the founding fathers is also a crucial bit in its history. The war against oppression in the colonial period was a way of fighting for freedom of self-governance ( Epstein & Epstein, 2009) . The colonists held people against their will around the world and practiced forms of dictatorship. On the attainment of independence, liberty was one of the pillars that made the signage of the perfect Union. The note Declaration of Independence of the United States is rich in phrases about liberty and freedom of an individual. For instance, part of it reads, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.” This is evident that the founding fathers were aware that men were born to be free and that to attain full potential and happiness, they have to remain so.
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The Constitution of the United States has been a key document in the development of the individual liberty. The ratification of it in 1787 was a mark of the beginning of freedom for everyone in the nation to enjoy the fruits of freedom from oppression ( Wilson, 2017) . It made the people to have a prosperous and peaceful society that has fewer obstacles. It is true to say that the founding fathers and the people who wrote the Constitution had the future generations in their thoughts rather than selfishness. They foresaw the dangers that could be when a government becomes oppressive to its people and how tyranny can rule over the minority. This means that till today, the Constitution of the United States of America which was worn by patriots protects our individual liberty ( Wilson, 2017) . This is done through the formation of a limited government that has basic functions of making liberty paramount for the present and future generations of America.
The American Dream is a common phrase in which the values and notions of the United States are built. Throughout history, people have been flocking the country to enjoy the American Dream and have a successful life in the attainment of prosperity. The Europeans came to the frontier as the pioneers in seeking freedom from oppression in their countries. Such is even seen today when America hosts millions of people born from different countries. The notion that the United States is a country that puts individual liberty at its paramount core is leading to many people fleeing into the country to find refuge from their oppressive governments. Other countries may be marred by wars that never end and strict rule of dictatorship that suppresses any dissenting voice by unorthodox measures such as killing.
It is imperative to note that individual liberty is a notion that baffles many governments as they try to control people in many ways they can get a chance. Historically, federal government has been known to interfere with this paramount right of people. The government always wants to exercise power and obtain more control over its citizens. In the United States, the federal government has been often criticized for trying to interfere with individual liberty by either neglect or direct exercise. The first debate of such deeds came during the times of slavery. It is evident that the federal government in that time tolerated slavery as some people argue that it benefitted from the institution of slavery. However, there were people who fought for the abolition hence creating the notion that America still values liberty.
On the side of the slave owners, there was an argument that the ownership of slaves was their right and it was important to their local economy. On the other hand, the abolitionists argued that the slaveholders had no right to deny the individuals freedom and equality. This debate was so intense that it even led to the Civil War and successful abolition of slavery as an institution. There was a profound consideration of individual liberty to the former slaves and how they were supposed to be free to do anything in the country. The argument of the abolitionists was culminated in the historic signing of the Declaration of Independence where Thomas Jefferson wrote “all men are created equal ( Shen, 2012) .” The founding fathers called slavery an “abominable crime” and wrote plans to ensure its end. Thus, the foundation of America was built on the fact that freedom is important to every individual.
In scenarios where the government tries to interfere with the individual liberty, the courts have come to the rescue of individuals. There are numerous cases in history and contemporary living that have shown the commitment of the judiciary to make judgments based on the restoration of individual liberty. In a 1958 case of Kent v. Dulles, there was a contention that Rockwell Kent was denied a passport to travel to England during application. The reason for this denial is that the petitioner had affiliations with the Communist Party. A hearing was necessary before the issuance of the passport and the Passport Office Director asked him to submit an affidavit on his status with the Communist Party. The jury decided that the right to travel was an important aspect of individual liberty that cannot be denied to American citizens.
The right to choose whatever a person wants to do is paramount in the American society. There have been several discussions on the border between this right and ethics of the society. Astounding cases have been conducted on the types of choices that Americans have, from abortion, use of contraceptives, and even euthanasia ( Epstein & Epstein, 2009) . There are several statute laws that for instance abolished the use of contraception and even the provision of counseling. In Poe v. Ullman case of 1961, the Connecticut State was challenged for banning contraceptive use. In this case, the Justice Harlan wrote confidently that the state abolished acts of homosexuality, adultery and the like. This statute came back to the court in Griswold v. Connecticut and Justice William O. Douglas argued that the statute interfered with the right to privacy of married couples. This decision was expanded later into access of protection in acts like abortion.
However, despite the numerous scenarios where America is upholding the paramount right to individual liberty, there are instances in history and contemporary living that makes the whole notion questionable. To begin with, when Thomas Jefferson signed the Declaration of Independence proclaiming that “all men are created equal,” he went back to his home which housed more than 600 slaves who were all working in his Virginian plantation ( Shen, 2012) . This scenario puts to question the narrative that the founders were concerned with the individual liberty of everyone living in America. Also, the treatment of immigrants in the current political environment is clear evidence that the United States is becoming less concerned with the individual liberty. Also, America is criticized for it overstretched liberties, which is also seen in the rights to own handguns. This has seen even young people owning machine guns and committing crimes in schools.
In conclusion, America is known as the “Land of the Free” for so many reasons that suggest the extent to which citizens are free to do whatever they please. This has been culminated to the founding principles of the nation that every person is supposed to enjoy the rights of freedom as that is the true measure of happiness. This made America to be the country that everyone wished to live, work, and play in. The courts have tried to help people secure this liberty. However, this freedom is far stretched and starting to attract criticism as how it gives the citizens the liberty to do things that are sometimes considered unethical and even dangerous to other people’s rights. But all in all, the United States is still considered a country that upholds democracy and individual liberty and there are frameworks to protect the people from the government interference.
References
Farber, D. A., & Sherry, S. (1990). A History of the American Constitution . Thomson Learning.
Epstein, R. A., & Epstein, A. (2009). Principles for a free society: Reconciling individual liberty with the common good . Basic Books.
Wilson, W. (2017). Constitutional government in the United States . Routledge.
Shen, A. (2012, January 31). "Paradox of Liberty" Tells the Other Side of Jefferson's Monticello. Retrieved May 15, 2018, from https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/paradox-of-liberty-tells-the-other-side-of-jeffersons-monticello-83738466/
