Voices of Freedom: A Documentary History (Fifth Edition) (Vol. Volume 2) .PDF

[Vince Oudman]

Voices of Freedom: A Documentary History (Fifth Edition) (Vol. Volume 2) Book in pdf

Download Here : Voices of Freedom: A Documentary History (Fifth Edition) (Vol. Volume 2) by Foner, Eric (Paperback).pdf

Voices of Freedom: A Documentary History by Foner is a book-length history of the idea of freedom. The book covers nearly every century and half-century of its recorded history, dealing with many different types of political struggles and cultural movements. It traces the evolution of the concept of freedom to its present day manifestation in the American Declaration of Independence, the US Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Oklahoma Constitution, the New York Declaration of Independence, and the Federal Bill of Rights. The book traces the development of individual rights and freedoms from their roots in ancient Greece and Rome to the present day. The voices of Freedom includes numerous prominent Americans such as Ben Franklin, John Locke, Thomas Jefferson, Roger Williams, pamphleteers, exponents of the rights of suffragists, and others. The voices of Freedom also include numerous cultures and nationalities including African-Americans, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and other peoples from various nations.

The documentary style of the text is somewhat strange at first, especially coming from an oral history background. Most of the book consists of personal interviews with several prominent Americans, many who are portrayed in the text with their own words. However, there is also a significant amount of history written about in the preface and the end notes. This preface and end notes provide important context for understanding the historical accounts and also shed light on specific problems in this section of the book.
Although Foner does not deal extensively in the history of the American political system, his discussions on individual freedom are well informed and well expressed. He examines the role of the slave trade, judicial slave power, the "black press," and the "mills." He also examines the changing understandings of freedom during the various eras in United States history. Finally, he concludes the book by briefly examining the potential of American freedom and its relation to environmentalism.