For centuries freedom has been fought for tirelessly by men and woman who have faced profound oppression. While it is not a tangible treasure, it is an illustrious concept that’s procurement is deeply desired. This is especially true in recent history when race became a factor in determining who was inferior to who. During the American Revolution, liberation was sought after by two rebellious groups, however, unjustly, only one is commemorated as being heroic and courageous. Among the many injustices burdened unto blacks, the lack of honor given to their rebel ancestors is deplorable.
George Washington is a name that is praised for the bravery of the man it belonged to. The colonists were celebrated for risking everything to establish America, but the men and woman who unwittingly died for it are not honored to the same extent. Harry Washington fought for liberty just as his owner, Washington, did. However, the historical significance that is placed upon their bravery is at opposite ends of the spectrum. George is admired for his rebellious acts, and Harry is a forgotten man who was fighting “to find the true meaning of liberty”.
The story of John Martin, while differs from Harry’s, displays the same neglect of rightful historical recognition. Martin was a man accused of stealing clothes from a white London man, and faced trial without documented defense. Typically, a punishment for any crime committed by a black is death, but parliament feared the city would be overtaken by corpses. As a result, the convicts would be sent overseas. The treatment of convicts was nothing less than inhumane, and they were faced with “a squalid existence that must have been utterly soul-destroying”. Martin was denied a fair trial, freedom, civilized treatment based on the word of one man, and the blatant racism of the era. His case is just one of thousands that have all been pushed under the rug of time.
While freedom is merely an intangible concept, is it something so treasured by all humans, and over time it has been denied to many based on unsubstantiated connotations surrounding the inferiority of races. While the colonists were rebelling against British control in an attempt to obtain liberation from their rule, slaves were rebelling for the same cause. Both parties were used as pons for gain in wealth and pursued liberation from the metaphorical and literal shackles that society has placed them in. However, one party is deemed gallant, while the other has been unjustly belittled and ignored. There has been a great disparity between these two groups, and while the white Americans have found freedom, that luxury has not been obtained completely by African Americans.
