John Harvey

09/22/16
Written Communications I
Dr. Elizabeth Cuddy
The Price of Freedom
Blood has been spilled, bones have been broken. Cultures have perished, great tomes of
knowledge have been lost. The cause of these bleak events is one simple word, freedom. What it
means to be free has defined the lives of my people, African-Americans, for generations. My
ancestors fought, sacrificed, and died for me to be able to claim my own freedom. Freedom is
defined as Exemption or release from slavery or imprisonment (freedom, n.). However, this
definition is sorely lacking in regards to the inhumane subjugation of my people. Freedom, to
me, is the goal of generations of Africans to break the chains of unsolicited bondage that still
weave their way through American culture to this day. Freedom was not easily won, it is often
taken for granted, and is still not completely within African-Americans grasp.
African-Americans survived hundreds of years of brutal barbaric slavery before Jan. 31,
1865. That date signifies the abolishment of slavery in the U.S. with the ratification of the 13th
Amendment (History.com). The Civil War, 1861-1865 (History.com), had nearly 40,000 blacks
die (archives.gov) simply for their basic human right to be free. However, with all these
sacrifices you would think all African-Americans would laud these Africans contributions to
their ability to wantonly exercise their free will. Sadly, this is not the case as African-Americans
such as County Sheriff David Brown seek to undermine the decades of progress both of our
ancestors died for. This topic is especially important in society today because America is

teetering on the edge of regressing back to a society of hate where the merciless slaughtering of
Africans for having the audacity of claiming their freedom was commonplace. The very idea of
African-Americans being free is too much for certain American citizens to handle. This is
especially dangerous when those citizens are in positions of power and hold crucial influence on
the law making and policing policies of this country.
In conclusion, freedom to me is extremely important because the word totally
encompasses the most difficult objective African-Americans seek to accomplish. Freedom isnt
free my people paid with their servitude and their lives. The word freedoms importance to
African-Americans cannot be emphasized enough. Unfortunately, its importance is often
overlooked and unappreciated by others who dont understand the plight of black men and
women in America. I believe every law-abiding citizen has the right to his/her own freedom and
no one and nothing should be able to change that.

Analysis of Freedom
Freedom is a very interesting word with its first use dating back to its Germanic
origins in c1225 (freedom, n.). The word is inherited from the Germanic language and holds
similarity to the Old Frisian frdm (freedom, n.). Freedom is a noun with the prefix free
meaning not in servitude to another (free, adj.). It in turn also carries the suffix dom which is
an abstract suffix of state (-dom, suffix). Freedom is the state of being allowed to do what
you want to do. This is exemplified by our Constitutions Bill of Rights. Take for example our
very first right freedom of speech, the right to express ones ideas through speech or symbolism
without consequence as long as it doesnt present a clear and present danger. Freedom is
currently in very frequent use in society today. The reason for its current high usage is not
dissimilar to previous spikes in the words history. Racial tensions, in this country in particular,
seem to always have this word in the conversation. The word freedom has a long and rich history
in debate on who exactly deserves its illustrious and coveted status. The words flexible label, in a
certain respect, etymologically makes since. In essence if you look at the words suffix and prefix
it means the abstract state of not being in servitude of another. This is interesting because the
word has been given and held from others on the whims, and often ideologies, of those in power.
Freedoms meaning hasnt changed much but who it can be applied to is quite abstract and has
been quite open to interpretation.

Works Cited:
"Definition of Freedom." Freedom. Collins Dictionary, n.d. Web. 22 Sept. 2016.
"free, adj., n., and adv." OED Online. Oxford University Press, September 2016. Web. 22
September 2016.
"House Passes the 13th Amendment." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d.
Web. 22 Sept. 2016.
"-dom, suffix." OED Online. Oxford University Press, September 2016. Web. 22
September 2016.
"Black Soldiers in the Civil War." National Archives and Records Administration.
National Archives and Records Administration, n.d. Web. 22 Sept. 2016.
"American Civil War." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 22 Sept.
2016.