Final answer:
Colonists used the words 'freedom' and 'oppression' to articulate their struggle against British policies and to rally for unity. These terms also exposed contradictions within colonial society, such as the maintenance of slavery amidst cries for liberty, which were pointed out by abolitionists and African Americans seizing on the revolutionary rhetoric.
Step-by-step explanation:
The colonists used words like freedom and oppression in the new lyrics of their revolutionary messages to express a deep sense of injustice regarding British policies that, in their eyes, infringed upon their rights. The concepts of freedom and oppression were not only political statements but also a rallying cry for unity among the colonists who felt their liberty was being unjustly curtailed by the British government. These words captured the essence of their struggle and helped to articulate the colonies' desire for independence, especially in light of their many attempts to seek redress through humble petitions that were consistently met with rejection and further injury.
Moreover, the use of such terms highlighted the deep contradictions and ironies embedded in the colonial society of the time. For instance, as African Americans and some white abolitionists pointed out, there was a jarring irony in colonists crying out for freedom while simultaneously upholding the institution of slavery. This contradiction was not lost on figures like George Washington who, despite being a slave owner himself, compared the colonists' situation under British rule to the plight of enslaved Africans. The rhetoric of liberty and freedom fueled by the American Revolution was also adopted by slaves and abolitionists to draw attention to this hypocrisy and to argue for their own emancipation, thus giving these words a profound and complex resonance within the era's political and social discourse.