Bridges, Ed., Freedom In America

Abstract

Freedom in America is a collection of 95 documents from U.S. history that define and discuss the concept and practice of freedom. From the Charter of Virginia (1606) and the Mayflower Compact (1620) to speeches by Ronald Reagan (Tear Down This Wall, 1987) and Bill Clinton (Religious Liberty in America, 1995), students can explore through these primary sources how Americans' ideas about freedom, liberty, and justice have changed through the course of four centuries. After a one-page introduction, in which Kenneth Bridges stresses that despite all criticism, the documents' authors "exude a tremendous sense of optimism that the nation can overcome prejudice, repression, and whatever impediment that slows the progress of justice," the documents are presented with paragraph-long introductions.