Courtney Barrowman Joliet West High School

Eric Foner opens his book with a very interesting concept. One that over the past two months has appeared more evident than ever, "No idea is more fundamental to American's sense of themselves as individuals and as a nation than freedom" (xiii). Foner's notion that the definition of freedom has changed over time is quite true. Yet, what has stayed constant over time is the desire to increase the horizons of freedom. Originally, this expansion of freedom was advocated by groups of Americans. However, today one can increasingly see individual Americans attesting their personal freedoms.

Somewhat obvious, Foner points out significant struggles that took place in order to provide equal opportunities for Americans. The question at the birth of nation throughout the first two centuries was who should enjoy the freedoms of our country? Namely, those overcome by African Americans from the depths of slavery to the pinnacle of the civil rights movement. As well as those fought by one half of the entire population, the women. Most Americans are well aware of the fact that upon the signing of the constitution all were not free, nor were they created equal. This concept is the cornerstone of most early American History courses.

Towards the end of his essay Foner mentions the idea that the struggle has shifted from who should enjoy American freedoms to the freedoms individual Americans believe they should have. It is here that the problem lies. Foner includes an argument by a team of sociologists headed by Robert Bellah who claim that this shift is a direct result of the current understanding of the word freedom held by most Americans. That understanding is that freedom means "being left alone by others and not being coerced into adhering to other people's values, ideas, or style of life" (328).

It is this briefly mentioned concept that I felt Foner needed to more closely examine. Today the judicial system is increasingly dominated by lawsuits that protect individual rights. So much so, that it has intruded on the every day lives of its citizens. Most importantly in the work place. Administration of various industries must be concerned with the conduct of their employees, their employee's co-workers, as well as their customers. American citizens are so convinced that they have this long list of inalienable rights that they fail to see the bigger picture. That is, how will this push for individualism affect the unity of our country when we need it to be there?

John Locke's philosophy highlighted the balance between government and its citizens. His called this idea a social contract. This unwritten compact between the country and the government simply states that in order for the people to have their rights and property protected by the government, they must be willing to give up some of the rights they might have without a government in place. As Americans we need to refocus on what is important. If we continue to expand the rights of the individual we are slowly taking the ability of the government to protect our rights.

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