Freedoms: Free Blacks In The North

Opelousas, Louisianas’ Black Codes passed in 1865 stated that, no negro could come into town, live, rent, or use land in town, go to any public meeting in town without a pass from a government official or white boss, they also couldn’t carry a gun unless in the military (Doc. B) a white person could do these things by their own choice. Former slave Henry Adams said to the U.S. Senate in 1880 that, he once asked the madam “‘ where was the boss?”’ She said, “‘You should say ‘master’ You are not free... and you shall call every white lady ‘missus’ and every white man ‘master’.’” (Doc. C.), many would say African Americans weren’t free because whites didn’t think they

How free were free blacks in the North? Blacks in the North were somewhat free in the years just before the civil war In Jamestown slavery was introduced in 1619 and continued ever since it’s been used for a very long time. But then it was abolished at one time, which brought them more freedom but not as much as whites. This technique was used and abolished during the 1800’s in the north. It ended around the 1860’s after the Civil war. Slavery was abolished much more in the North but they still had constrictions for the African-Americans. It was much freer but they still had their constraints. New England was much more free than others, but it still had its constraints and I’m going to tell you about why I’m right by talking about their economic,

Black Americans faced a number of obstacles, widespread and entrenched WASP racism, Existence of white supremacist organisations such as the KKK, De Jure (legal segregation) Lack of political influence, and Disunity amongst the campaign groups, campaigning for black Americans civil right.

James Oakes ' book, Slavery and Freedom: An Interpretation of the Old South, is a reflection of slavery and freedom that was closely associated with the ordinary life in the South. The book also hits on points of liberal capitalism that the slave-owner 's had. This book goes into immense detail on liberal capitalism as well as the lack of freedom that the slaves had in the Deep South. "...And this could only mean that southern slavery was defined as the denial of the assumptions of liberal capitalism" (xiii). That in essence makes the slave 's South connection to liberal capitalism closer and way more problematic.

Blacks in the North partially free. [Document B is an excerpt from a book by an Englishman, named Charles Mackay about his tour through the United States and Canada from 1857-1858. His book, Life and liberty in America: or sketches of a tour in the united States and Canada, is about the freedoms and limitation that the African Americans in the north had.] According to doc B which states that” he shall be free to live, and to thrive, if he can, and to pay taxes and to perform duties.” African Americans could live and thrive.African Americans were able to live and thrive so they weren’t slaves any longer which was good because they were free to do as they needed to.

leader. Freedom became a symbol for the nation, but not everyone in the nation was “free”. In the 1760s, the American Revolution changed the views of many living in the States. With much talk of freedom, people began to question the concept of slavery. As the States kept growing, the North and South started to gain different views of slavery. Because the North was industrialized and believed in factories while the South had huge cotton plantations that needed many workers, slavery was controversial. But one-by-one, Northern states began to outlaw slavery. Black slaves became free men, but because of the contrasting views, were often not treated as such. The question remains: how free were free Blacks in the North? Free Blacks in the North were not truly free and very restricted because of political, social, and economical limits.

The 1800s, was a time of prosperity, wealth, and slaves. New inventions were made which helped industrialize the country, and mass produce products. However, the African Americans were brought into slavery to help collect materials that made industrializing easier. Slaves were a key component to cotton picking in the South, though in the North, slaves were not a necessity, so one by one, states began emancipating their slaves. By the 1860s, there were 221,000 free blacks in the North, and the three regions are New England, the Mid-Atlantic, and the Midwest, which all became slave free states. Even though all states in the North became slave free states, other states, such as, Rhode Island took 58 years to officially outlaw slavery. Unfortunately, African Americans were looked down upon and discriminated against, since their skin color was different. Due to this matter, it made their lives more difficult, because they were not given the freedom they deserved. So, how free were the free blacks in the North? Even

“I had reasoned this out in my mind, there was one, I would have the other.” Stated by a freed Northern slave in his journal. The civil war affected the course of America and changed the World we know today. With the effect of slavery thousands of African Americans were outlawed into slaves across United States. With civil war storm clouds building, blacks did anything to be free by running to the free lands of so called “equality.” Many took a route called the Underground Railroad to the North lands. People thought that the North was free and equal but wasn’t so. The outcome of ex-fugitive slaves in the North wasn’t great. Through segregation and inequality, the blacks were restricted in North. They

The free blacks in the North weren’t considered on the same social class as the other free people. “... he shall not be free to dine and drink at our board…” (Doc B) A African American wasn’t allowed to eat and talk with white people because they were looked down upon. They wouldn’t let them eat, drink or talk with them. “... to mingle with us in the concert-room, the lecture-room, the theatre, or the church, or to marry with our daughters...” (Doc B) The African Americans weren’t free to do any of these things purely because they were African American even though they are “free”. They were definitely not free socially but were they free religiously?

They virtually had no freedoms when it came to politics even though Reconstruction yet again put up a front as if they did. To summarize the 15th amendment, in Doc D, African American men now had the right to vote, but did this really mean they were able to actively participate in the government that led them? The answer is both yes and no, while African American men certainly had the ability to vote, most chose not to vote due to the danger and threat posed by the KKK. Nonetheless, it wasn’t only violence stopping former slaves, southern states installed state constitutions that made it even more difficult to vote. The states required an annual polling tax which was impossible for freedmen to pay due to the economic severity placed on them after the civil war. That was only the most just out of all the unjust rules placed, voters would also take a literacy test given by white clerks who purposely gave more complex passages to black voters as opposed to easier passages to whites. Now saying blacks couldn’t vote didn’t mean there were no black politicians. African Americans held office but as shown in Doc J did not hold a credible reputation. Black legislators - well not just black legislators but the race as a whole - held many stereotypes and were seen as lazy, classless, and rowdy. In addition to these stereotypes, many black legislators were believed to be puppets and or corrupt. Also expressed in Doc

The era of eighteenth and ninetieth century was full of uncertainty and fear for many. It is the results of decisions that were taken during this period which not only helped in shaping the America today but also changed the outlook of many other countries. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, there were many forces and institutions activate who were playing role in the freedom of blacks. Other than the international forces, the most influential institutions were activated for and against the Black freedom in America. It is the result of those events that America is now called the United States.

Was the life in the North any different than the life in the South? In 1860, about 476,000 African Americans were free; 250,000 lived in the South and 221,000 lived in the North. That’s only a small amount compared to the entire black population. Obviously the lives in the North and in the South were extremely different; the North would have more opportunities than the South would, or would it? So, how free were the free blacks in the North? Well, in the North there were both restrictions and freedoms in all aspects of society; whether it is in political and economic freedoms or in social and religious freedoms.

African Americans living in the North, as well as those in the South, faced multiple challenges. In 1860, tension grew between the North and South. Most southern states still held onto slavery, because their slaves were worth money, while the North was trying to abolish it. The North had many free African Americans, but the question is, were they actually free? Free Africans Americans in the North before the civil war were not actually free because, they had little to none political right, they were not allowed to associate with whites, and making a living, no matter what, was hard.

Free blacks in the north had a limited amount of freedom compared to restrictions in the social category. For example, white people in the North made it a social norm exclude blacks from any public events or places. Blacks were not allowed to eat, socialize, or do business with a white men, (Doc B). As a free black in the North, this would conflict with what you were promised with freedom. This concept of social segregation is a little misleading from an outsider’s perspective. As American’s, we proclaim that everyone is created equal and every man has God given rights. For us to say that blacks are an inferior race, and therefore should not have the same rights as us is a violation of our country’s

Many whites still saw the blacks as slaves and treated them just the same. There were riots, where the newly freed blacks were attacked and killed innocently. One example was a riot in Memphis Tennessee in 1866 where many black men women and children were all killed innocently (Document 4). Blacks were unrightfully treated sandman times unfairly killed being accused of things they had not even done. The blacks still had a low social standing and were treated similarly, groups like the KKK would attack and kill the whites unrightfully. Governments wrote black codes which took many rights away from the blacks and caused them to be greatly segregated. Many of the whites in the North held a grudge against the backs and wanted them to be thankful for what they had done to free them. A political cartoon from 1865 written in a Northern magazine shows how many people let (Document 2). Northerners believed they spent a large amount of money and had endured many causalities just to get the African Americans freed.