The Limits of Freedom - Term Paper Example

From the independence of America to the beginning of the New World, White males had superiority and complete freedom as compared to the women, African Americans and American Indian. The religious groups did not enjoy freedom as well. Freedom of Women: In the colonial era, the treatment and behaviour with women varied with colonies and tribes, with the variation in the ethnicity of the tribe. The Puritan settlers from England did not allow the women to work with the men in the fields as they were very religious and believed that the women should look after their men and bring up children who feared God.

The German women however could be seen working in the fields along with the men and in the stables as well. The English women did not own their own clothes and had no right to write their wills regarding the things they possessed. On the contrary, German and Dutch women had their own clothes and also had the freedom to make their wills. . i Single women could vote up to 1807 according to the New Jersey state constitutions but married women could not. ii Freedom of African Americans The African Americans were brought into the country as slaves.

They were treated very poorly and had no rights. While being transported on slave ships, these slaves were forced to leave their families and chained below the deck of the ship. Their living conditions were unhygienic and they suffered from severe malnutrition which resulted in an increase in the prevalence of diseases at an alarming rate. They were punished harshly. They first arrived in America in 1619 as servants sold to Englishmen. Killing a slave however was still a crime and some whites were even hanged as a punishment.

The owners treated them no better than livestock. iii The African American children were not allowed to study in schools so they made schools for themselves within the community where the children could get educated. White males, either naive or immigrant were preferred to be hired by companies rather than the African Americans. During the Civil War, President Lincoln promised the slaves in the Southern states freedom from their slavery if the Union won the war.iv By February 1865, about 200,000 slaves were freed.

The Civil Rights Act of 1866 the African Americans were declared as Americans and two years later the African Americans were granted citizenship of America. Freedom of American Indians American Indians are the indigenous natives of the continental United States, Hawaii and Alaska. Difference in culture between the Native Americans and immigrants from Europe and Africa, the constantly changing alliance of different people has been a source of quarrel between the New World and Old World societies. They were