In the minds of many Americans, the Revolutionary War is more than a fight for independence. It is, in many ways, a symbol of what it means to be American, to be self-ruled and free from tyranny. The Revolution is engraved into the ethos of our nation as a statement of the core of American values, freedom, democracy and the right to self-determination.
However, today, the relationship between the act of revolution and freedom is far more complicated. While the ideals of the Revolution laid the foundation of America, the reality of who has access to those ideals continues to be contested. The promise that “all men are created equal” was never truly extended to all—and that gap remains painfully visible today.
THEN
In 1775, if you asked a colonist, “What is freedom?”, you likely would have heard a response like “equal representation in government” or “independence from the British.” For colonists, freedom was defined in clear and immediate terms and securing that freedom meant taking action. That action meant taking up arms, disrupting daily life and embracing resistance as a moral imperative. The spirit of the Revolution was built on the belief that the only way to secure our independence was through direct and violent resistance, whether it be with armed resistance, riots or public demonstrations. For instance, the Boston Tea Party, perhaps the most famous and impactful act of resistance preceding the Revolution, was an act of destruction. The battles of the war itself were deadly, with tens of thousands of casualties. Entire cities were thrown into chaos. The revolution completely disrupted the economy, the government and daily life. This wasn’t a peaceful request for change; it required a war.
Yet, even as colonists fought for their own liberty, they denied it to others. Black people were enslaved, Native Americans were displaced from their ancestral lands, and women were not allowed any real participation in society. While fighting for freedom, early Americans were also actively and systematically oppressing other groups, a problem that persists even today.
NOW
In modern-day America, most would like to say that we have acquired the freedom that our Founding Fathers sought for us to have and expanded that definition to include all people. From the Suffrage to the Civil Rights Movement, every day, those who were excluded from that original definition have fought their way into having a seat at the table.
Yet, with every passing day, people are denied access to these freedoms. In state after state, basic rights are being rolled back. Voting rights are being suppressed. LGBTQ+ people, particularly transgender youth, are being denied access to gender-affirming care and are targeted by laws that seek to erase them from public life. Women’s bodily autonomy is under siege through abortion bans and restrictions on reproductive healthcare. Immigrants are being mass-deported. Diversity, equity and inclusion programs are being dismantled in universities, schools, workplaces, government institutions and even museums.
These aren’t just policy changes. These are direct assaults on the freedoms that our country claims to cherish.
THE MYTH OF POLITE PROTEST
Today, methods for securing freedom have shifted away from violent demonstrations. Most modern movements use the power of peaceful protest to object to oppression. Movements like Black Lives Matter, the fight for LGTBQIA+ rights, and calls for economic justice continue to use peaceful protest petitions and political advocacy to address systematic inequalities. But as these movements grow, so does the pressure for them to remain respectful and quiet.
The Civil Rights Movement succeeded not because it was polite but precisely because it was inconvenient. It disrupted commerce and policy. Disruption might make the common American uncomfortable, but it is the only way to truly promote peace because a society can not be fully at peace when there are people who are not treated equally.
FREEDOM REQUIRES PRESSURE
When more rights are taken away, when transgender youth are denied health care, when immigrants are mass deported, when DEI initiatives are being shut down around the country, protests that simply “raise awareness” aren’t enough. Change happens when people in power are made uncomfortable and when inaction becomes more costly than reform.
We no longer use muskets, but the fight is far from over. Now, we protest, we organize, we vote, but above all, we must remain willing to disrupt comfort in the service of justice. If we truly believe in the ideals the nation was built on, we must be ready to defend them, especially when they are under threat.
