The idea of America is freedom over life, liberty, and equality for the pursuit of happiness. According to the Merriam Webster’s Dictionary; freedom means the quality or state of being free. Liberty means the state or condition of people who are able to act and speak freely. Equality means the quality or state of being equal; the quality or state of having the same rights or social status. The following paragraphs will show support for these ideas, starting with freedom.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt made reference to freedom in his Address to Congress (Four Freedoms Speech) which supports thoughts on freedom “we look forward to a world founded upon four essential human rights; the first is freedom of speech and expression—everywhere in the
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Taking control of their life and choices. Denial of rights, makes a slave, a slave has no choice over decisions; they are controlled in every movement. In Europe or English Colonies there are no choices, rules must be followed, what the king says goes. In President Calvin Coolidge’s Inaugural Address, he stated “We made freedom a birthright…” and “...we have enlarged our freedom, we have strengthened our independence. We have been and propose to be, more and more American.” This quote supports how freedom is right and having this right makes you an American.
Another part of the Idea of America is liberty. In George Washington’s First Inaugural Address he mentioned “the preservation of the sacred fire of liberty and the destiny of the republican model of government are justly considered, perhaps, as deeply, as finally, staked on the experiment entrusted to the hands of the American people.” Power is in the hands of the people, if the people lose the right to govern themselves they are now slaves. People constitute government, and government becomes the enemy if not adhering to the