DEFINITIONS ON THE INTERNET

Freedom fighter is a relativistic local term for those engaged in rebellion against an established government that is held to be oppressive and illegitimate. The terms "freedom" and "rebellion" are often controversial, as often both sides in armed conflict claim to represent the popular cause of " freedom." While external intervening parties, even oppressors, almost always claim to be "liberators", freedom fighters also often become oppressors in the eyes of civilians.

Though the literal meaning of the words could include anyone who fights for the cause of freedom, common use is restricted to those who are actively involved in an armed rebellion, rather than those who "fight" for freedom by peaceful means (though they may use the title metaphorically).

From Wikipedia Online Encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_fighter

Definition of freedom from Webster’s Online Dictionary http://www.websters-online-dictionary.org/definition/freedom

Definition of fighter from Webster’s Online Dictionary http://www.websters-online-dictionary.org/definition/fighter

REFERENCE BOOKS IN THE LIBRARY

REF 303.48 Eng  Activists, Rebels, and Reformers, 3 volumes

REF 303.61 Pro   Protest, Power and Change: an encyclopedia of nonviolent action from ACT-UP to women’s suffrage 

REF 305.4 Wea  American Women’s History: an A to Z of people, organizations, issues and events

REF 323.1 Ame  American Civil Rights – Almanac, Biographies & Primary Sources, 5 volumes

REF 909.82 Enc  Encyclopedia of Conflicts Since World War II, 4 vols.

REF 920 Gay  Heroes of Conscience: a biographical dictionary

REF 940.53 Hol  People of the Holocaust, 2 volumes

REF 940.53 Wor  World War II – Almanac, Biographies, 4 volumes
 

PRIMARY SOURCE DOCUMENTS

The following documents contain ideas which inspire  people all around the world to fight for freedom.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights from the United Nations’ website.  This document outlines the human rights which should belong to all people, everywhere in the world.
http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html

Declaration of Independence from the National Archives of the U.S.  This document describes the reasons why people in colonial America wanted their freedom from the King of England.
http://www.archives.gov/national_archives_experience/charters/declaration.html

Constitution of the United States from the National Archives of the U.S.  This document establishes how a democratic government should function.
http://www.archives.gov/national_archives_experience/charters/constitution.html

Bill of Rights from the National Archives of the U.S.  This document is a part of the Constitution, it contains amendments to the constitution which describe the rights people in the United States should have.  Amendments are changes to official documents.
http://www.archives.gov/national_archives_experience/charters/bill_of_rights.html

Freedom Charter from the African National Congress.  This document describes the ideals held by black South Africans who lived in a segregated society where white people had power and privilege, a system known as "apartheid."
http://www.anc.org.za/ancdocs/history/charter.html

BIOGRAPHIES IN THE LIBRARY

There are many books in the library about people who have struggled for freedom.  Go to the Mount Si library webpage and click the MSHS link under “find books.”  That will connect you to the library catalog, or OPAC (online public access catalog).  The catalog has a list of all the books in the library.

Type the name of the person you are researching into the search box, last name first, and click the “subject” icon.  This will lead to a list of books in our library about that person. 

If you don’t find any books, please ask the librarian for assistance.

Freedom movements post-1940

The resistance movement against Nazi Germany
          White Rose http://www.colorado.edu/TheatreDance/productions/archive/0102/whiterose/wrmain.html
                                             http://www.holocaust-history.org/short-essays/white-rose.shtml

Independence movements in Africa & Asia
          South Asia http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/SSEAL/SouthAsia/movements.html

The civil rights movement in the United States
          http://www.voicesofcivilrights.org/

The anti-apartheid movement in South Africa

The labor movement in many countries
          child labor http://www.continuetolearn.uiowa.edu/laborctr/child_labor/about/ending.html
          sweatshops http://www.behindthelabel.org/

The women’s movement in many countries
           http://womhist.binghamton.edu/projectmap.htm

Minority rights movements in many countries

Indigenous rights movements around the world

Peace movements in many countries
          http://www.hippiemuseum.org/history.html
             http://www.wilpfboston.org/links.html

Websites on several different social movements
          http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/modsbook56.html

Image sources: 
     King www.princeton.edu/pr/mlk/;
     Parks http://www.columbia.edu/itc/law/witt/raw_images/lect28/13_rosa_parks.jpg;
     Chavez http://www.laprensa-sandiego.org/archieve/march29-02/chavez03.jpg;
     Scholl http://www.herodote.net/Images/SchollHansSophieProbst.jpg;
     Ali http://www.jimbrittphoto.com/legends2/Ali.jpg;
     Malcolm http://www.itsablackthang.com/images/Grander-Images/PH-3024.jpg;
     Mandela http://www.annie-lennox.com/Scans%202/Nelson-Mandela-Concert-arti.jpg;
     Steinem http://www.hellobetty.com/images/gloria_steinem.jpg ;
     Saint Marie http://www.free-definition.com/Buffy-Sainte-Marie.html

Mount Si High School Library webpage
designed May 2005
updated 5/23/05   
E. Harger, Librarian