What does it mean to be free? A Reflection of American Values on its 250th

As we commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, a date we use to mark the founding of the Country, the one word that does not leave the popular imagination when discussing the declaration is Freedom. 

Freedom is probably one of the most critical words in the American lexicon. Alexis De Tocqueville, in his timeless analysis of American society, called us “A cult of Freedom”. We describe ourselves as the land of the free in our national anthem. Often, people’s excuse for doing just about anything is something along the lines of, “Well, it’s a free country”. The relationship to the word is so integral to American life that we don’t often realize it exists until it is pointed out to us. 

The moment it was pointed out to me was in the fall of 2025, while reading The Story of American Freedom by Eric Foner. In the book, Foner analyzes the word Freedom, and the history of how it’s been used in the American vocabulary from Colonial America to 1998. Foner’s thesis is that the way the United States has used the word ” freedom ” is not a fixed or even evolving concept, but more like a small rubber ball that bounces from group to group, era to era, and always means something different to someone else. 

Looking back at some of the greatest internal trials and tribulations that the country has faced, it’s important to note that all of them have revolved around a central question. What does it mean to be free? 

To this day, we still cannot come to a mutual answer to that question, which is why it’s the perfect thing to reflect on as we reach a national milestone. To do this, I welcomed Dr. Tracy Teslow, author of  Constructing Race: The Science of Bodies and Cultures in American Anthropology, and a professor of American history at the University of Cincinnati. 

Join me as I reflect on the complexities of the word freedom in America. This includes how we personify it, how we use it in our retellings of our national history, and how its meaning has both changed and stayed the same in different aspects. For more, listen to the Episode!