Give Me Liberty!: Volume 1

The late 1600s in North America were marked by violent confrontations that the authors present to continue the thread of The Evolving Concept of American Freedom. King Philip’s War, initiated by the Wampanoag leader Metacom, is underscored to illustrate The Impact of Social Movements and Political Conflicts on Liberty. This war, the authors argue, challenged the expansion of European settlers and led to significant losses for Indigenous communities, which translated into an expansion of land and autonomy for white settlers but a catastrophic reduction in life and freedom for Indigenous peoples.

This period highlighted The Significance of Diverse Groups in America, contrasting the increase in liberties for European colonists against the severe erosion of autonomy and territory for Indigenous peoples. Freedom and liberty are presented here as ideas and realities equally defined by their limits as much as their “expansion.” The authors suggest a paradox: As freedom expands for certain white folks, it erodes for groups often considered marginalized. The authors continue their agenda to detail just how much the experiences of Indigenous peoples have been integral in defining the shape of freedom in America.

Global Competition and the Expansion of England’s Empire

During the mid-17th century, England’s adoption of mercantilism and the Navigation Act aimed to control trade and assert dominance over the Dutch. The authors describe this period of global rivalry to further their attempt to demonstrate how the evolving concept of freedom was intertwined with economic strategies and imperial ambitions.

They describe how the transformation of New Netherland into New York under English rule led to significant changes in legal freedoms, especially for women and enslaved Africans. The maintenance of religious tolerance in New York, despite other restrictive shifts, is another example given by the authors to reveal the complexity of how the experiences of diverse groups shaped colonial society. History for them is not a single narrative thread, but a polyphony of voices contesting ideologies that in turn fuel events.

Entrenchment of American Slavery

By the end of the 17th century, enslavement had become deeply entrenched as a central institution in North America, particularly in the Chesapeake region. The authors describe the codification of racial distinctions and the establishment of a rigid enslavement system to make clear that there has always been severe limits and contradictions in the American concept of freedom, where the definition of liberty was increasingly constrained for enslaved Africans. The authors argue that the transition from indentured European servitude to reliance on African enslavement, accelerated by Bacon’s Rebellion (1676-1677) in Virginia, impacted social structures and labor systems in the colonies.

Seventeenth-Century Crises

The late 1600s were characterized by significant social movements and political conflicts that reshaped the colonies, from King Philip’s War to Bacon’s Rebellion. These conflicts, the authors explain, often involved land disputes with Indigenous peoples and internal colonial discontent, shaping the colonial landscape. The resultant shifts in land access and governance structures illustrate how liberty and power were redistributed in the colonies, reinforcing the authors’ argument that power and “freedom” affect various populations disproportionately, granting advantage to certain groups over others.

Global Competition and the Expansion of England’s Empire

Amidst the 17th century’s mercantile rivalries, England implemented policies like the Navigation Act to control trade and challenge Dutch dominance, leading to the conquest and transformation of New Netherland into New York. The authors argument here is that the colony’s growth under English rule saw continuity in its diversity and religious tolerance, while legal freedoms, particularly for women and enslaved Africans, began to align more closely with English traditions.

Entrenchment of American Slavery

During the mid- to late 1600s, enslavement transformed from a secondary labor system to a mainstay within the colonial economy, particularly as the demand for labor-intensive crops like tobacco grew. Legal codes in Virginia and Maryland began to crystallize racial distinctions, with harsh consequences for interracial relations and strict limitations placed on enslaved people’s freedoms.

Colonies in Crisis

The latter part of the 17th century was rife with conflicts that reshaped colonial North America, from internal rebellions like Bacon’s Rebellion to broader imperial challenges like England’s Glorious Revolution (1688-1689). The authors continue to present such conflicts as an evolving dialogue; these conflicts, they argue, impacted colonial governance and laid the groundwork for future assertions of rights and liberties.

Colonial America’s Growth

By the end of the 17th century, the English colonies had grown in population and complexity, with vibrant cities and a diversified populace including Europeans and enslaved Africans. Despite the persistent entrenchment of enslavement, the colonies were increasingly connected to global trade networks, bolstering their economic development—an example the authors use to further their demonstration of the interconnections between enslavement and economics.

Social Classes in the British Colonies

The 18th century saw the emergence of a distinct elite class in the British colonies, a phenomenon the authors argue mirrored England’s aristocratic structures, yet adapted to the colonial context. Despite a shared identity rooted in English liberty, the colonies exhibited stark inequalities. The authors continue to connect political realties to changing definitions of liberty, particularly to reveal the impact of these contested ideologies on marginalized groups like women and the poor.

North America at Mid-Century

By the mid-18th century, North America presented a diversity of communities, from European settlements to Indigenous societies. The authors continue to underscore how notions of freedom evolved, with a particular emphasis here on how European colonial ambitions increasingly threatened Indigenous freedoms.

The growing economic and cultural interdependencies, the authors argue, fostered a spirit of independence among colonists, while increased political self-governance and Enlightenment ideals laid the groundwork for revolutionary thought and action. History here is again polyphonic, not singular: The authors argue that this complex dialogue between cultures, coupled with resentment toward British taxation and control, set the stage for the revolutionary changes of the late 18th century.