Freedom is precisely the nothingness which is made to be at the heart of man and which forces human reality to make itself instead of to simply be.

Jean-Paul Sartre, L'Etre et le Neant, 1957.

What is Freedom?

Liberty or freedom's most brief and droll definition is, "the ability to act," but obviously freedom is more than just the ability to act. Freedom is what Mel Gibson screams literally from his gut as Braveheart, its what Patrick Henry was incorrectly quoted as giving his life for, and freedom has been called "the plan of Heaven for humanity, and the best hope for progress here on Earth."

Unbelievably that quote is from George W. Bush (difficult to put in the same league as Patrick Henry) at the 20th anniversary of the National Endowment for Democracy remarking on freedom in the Middle East. (November 6, 2003)

As the site expands, investigations into liberty and freedom will address a wide variety of applications the notion has provided American history. From symbols of liberty such "lady liberty" to more institutional political notions, and social debates, freedom can shed a new perspective on American history.

The site has compiled a bibliography of some of the best general expositions of the notion of Liberty in the United States. Please find it below.

Liberty in America: A Bibliography

With the advent of electronic library catalogues, the generation of bibliographies by the site editor is largely a waste of time. Please find below a link to WorldCat for their generated bibliography. They have been separated into various era's for convenience. They are not comprehensive, but a good place to start.

Liberty in America: 1600-1760

Liberty in America: 1760-1790

Liberty in America: 1790-1861

Liberty in America: Slavery and the Civil War

Liberty and America: Since the Civil War

YouTube houses a wide variety of opinions that add substantially to the debate and definition of freedom. There are also real drawbacks such as clear political bias, positions lacking analysis, and a reduced accountability and review process. Even so, from idealistic stick-figures to dry soliloquies, these definitions and debates are gratefully welcomed. Of particular use is Adam Curtis' documentary The Trap.

You Tube Series

M. Patrick Cullinane, Liberty and Anti-Imperialism, June 22, 2007.

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