Give Me Liberty!: Volume 1

The authors present the evolving concept of freedom as not only the central theme of “American” history, but also as a complex and contested notion that has shaped the nation’s identity and political discourse. Throughout the text, the authors explore how the understanding of freedom has been constructed and reconstructed over time, responding to the shifting demands of social, economic, and political life.

The narrative interrogates the inherent contradictions and the dynamic nature of freedom, questioning who benefits from it, who decides its boundaries, and how its definitions expand or contract in response to the aspirations and struggles of various groups. The narrative scrutinizes the dual expansion of freedom and unfreedom, particularly evident in the 17th century: “Freedom and lack of freedom expanded together in seventeenth-century America” (155). This paradox highlights a foundational tension within American society: While colonial America was a place where notions of liberty and opportunity were celebrated, it was also a setting where enslavement, Indigenous displacement, and rigid class structures limited the freedoms of many.

One of the primary questions Give Me Liberty! raises is how the concept of freedom has been variously used both to justify exclusion and to expand inclusion.