What is the essence of America?

Finding and maintaining that perfect, delicate ba lance between freedom to and freedom from ." (Marilyn vos Savant). What this quote me ans, to me anyway, is that America s essence and its creation might have been abou t freedom, but never full freedom. If anything, an aspect of America during the 17th-19th century was all about expansionism. From the time the slaves arrived t o Andrew Jackson s presidency, looking passed it all, it was expansionism. In 1619, the first slaves arrived in the new land, be it may that it was the british who brought them there, but it was in America nonetheless. In the 17th century, most slaves in that time were American Indians. As time went on to abou t the mid 1700 s, the slave population very gradually changed from American Indian to almost exclusively African-Americans. Around the years of the 1660 s, the pett y but existing legal status of African-Americans was beginning to be decided, as slave codes were introduced into many states making all groups of non-white rac es slaves for life. By the time the 1680 s came around, they started to gain few r ights. The Tobacco boom actually made all of this very possible, as it was virtually un known to Europeans until the mid-16th century, the farming required huge Souther n plantations, and a huge number of slaves were needed to harvest it all. A slav e trade across the Atlantic Ocean through what is known as the infamous "Middle Passage", brought around 12 million Africans to North America. Around the 18th century, 80% of the slaves were exported. Slavery was just the beginning, which even though it was the Colonists who started it, it would still remain to be a b ig part of America s past. William Penn was the first great hero of American liberty. During the late 1 7th century, Penn established an American sanctuary which protected freedom of c onscience. Where most colonists would be hostile towards Indians, Penn only want ed peace. He defend women s equality to men and even gave Pennsylvania a written c onstitution which limited the power of government. To some this is very obscure but still added to the groth of America, even if it wasn t the U.S. at the time, m ainly for what it did for Pennsylvania. Penn's document the First Frame of Government was the first constitution to utiliz e a peaceful resolution through amendments. Any proposed amendment required the approval of the governor and a huge percentage, around 85, of the elected repres entatives. The constitution went through changes several times. A version accept ed on October 28, 1701 lasted for three-quarters of a century and then became th e basis for Pennsylvania's state constitution, adopted in 1776. There were many heroes in the past, one man s efforts can put him in the annals of major history f orever. The efforts of few can change the face of history in a huge way, opening opportu nities for a country to flourish and rise to power. The American Revolution ende d over two hundred years of British rule for most of the North American colonies and basically created the United States of America. The Revolutionary war was a time of strife and conquest; for some it was a time of progress, and for the le ss fortunate, a time of dislocation. The Revolution set into motion several even ts such as the drafting and ratification of the Constitution of the United State s, as well as several rebellions started by that of slaves seeking their own lib erty. The Battles of Lexington and Concord was the beginning of the American Revolutio n against the British Empire. The battle took place on April 19th, 1775, in Midd lesex County, Massachusetts Bay, near Boston. This battle marked the opening of armed hostilities between the Kingdom of Great Britain and its thirteen colonies in America. It also sparked what is known as the famous shot heard around the wo rld . These chain of battle were what planted the first seed of the the United Sta tes of America and the great land it was to become. British Parliament passed the Intolerable Acts as punishment to the Prov ince of Massachusetts Bay for the Boston Tea Party. In 1768 British Army infantr

y occupied Boston, reinforced by their naval forces, to enforce these acts. The first shots were fired at the break of dawn in Lexington. The militia were great ly overwhelmed and were forced to retreat, as the regulars proceeded on to Conco rd, where they searched for supplies. The true outcome of the battle came down t o the stand at the North Bridge in Concord, were around 500 militiamen fought an d defeated three companies of the King's troops, crush British morale and showin g the colonies that they had the potential to win the fight against tyranny. The British forces were constantly outmaneuvered by the minutemen in open territory thanks to the technique learned from Native American allies.