Daniel Hicks Glenbrook South High School

"Freedom is not free" is inscribed on a piece of stone next to the Korean War monument. As I stood in front of this quote and thought about Eric Foner s book, The Story of American Freedom, I couldn't help but conclude how true these words rang. The word freedom has been used by many people with many different meanings. For example, by freedom, one may mean physical, psychological, political, economical, or merely as a state of mind. In any event, the reality of freedom is that people made, and continue to do so, decisions about their lives and their future based upon their understanding of freedom.

Many Americans today take for granted this concept of freedom. Foner points out that while freedom is the bond that unifies us, this issue has been a contentious struggle since our inception. Eric Foner s book takes a new look, although chronologically organized, at America s past. The book centers its discussion on groups who were free, when these members became free, what type of freedom was sought, and how this freedom was acquired. From religious and economical freedom of the colonial era, to social and political freedom of the Civil War, to defending the free world in the 20th century, Foner describes, in insightful detail, what people were thinking and doing to make freedom available to themselves as well as others.

This is an easy book to read and one that will be hard to put down. Considerable emphasis is placed upon 20th century events and how specific events impacted other groups championing different causes. I suspect that students will find the second half of the book more interesting to read as it is more relevant to their lives. In particular, at the turn of the 20th century, free speech cases would prove to be so significant that they "laid the foundation for the rise of civil liberties as a central component of freedom in 20th century America." (164) This new emphasis would dramatically change the lives of women, workers, blacks, homosexuals, reformers, immigrants, etc. Moreover, the Bill of Rights would cease to be just a document of principles and become an active guardian of civil rights.

Students will also find Chapters 9-13 especially interesting as they may have had parents, grandparents, or even great grandparents who actually lived through the times. The crisis of the Great Depression may have been the greatest test for determining how much freedom we, as a society, are willing to relinquish in order to ensure economic security. Although becoming a welfare state, it is interesting to note how many people were either excluded or consistently overlooked. The Cold War would witness an increased role by the Americans on the world stage as protectors of freedom, while the sixties would force Americans to finish the fight for freedom at home -- especially as it applied to full citizenship for African Americans. Foner will conclude this incredibly well written and exhaustive story of freedom with the conservative party s response to these liberal ideas of freedom.

The debate over what constitutes freedom and who is rightfully entitled to it will undoubtedly continue into the future. New situations are likely to arise forcing the issue once again onto center stage. In this event, it will be interesting to see how much we are willing to accept others perspective of freedom. How tolerant and flexible will people be when their freedoms need to be restricted for the common good? One can only hope that when the need for change arises, Americans will call upon the past for guidance and inspiration when deciding how to respond.

I found myself left with a great deal of questions about the future in light of what has occurred since September 11, 2001, but I am hopeful that this book demonstrates that we have the tools to meet any crisis as it relates to our freedom. I wish to close with the quote from the start. "Freedom is not free," but it is worth dying for.

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