2. Freeman Blacks – American Identity
• The Freeman Blacks have shaped the ideal American identity
through the evolution of diversity, equality, and freedom.
• Diversity was brought to America via the birth of mixed-race
children, the assimilation of free blacks and immigration.
• Plantation owners having children with their female slaves
and through the African-American culture, diversity was
never removed during enslavement.
3. Freeman Blacks – American Identity
• A period of religious
Enlightenment led to widespread
tolerance and the growing
acceptance of different cultures
in America.
•Culture such as religion, music,
spirituality, language, dance, and
folk tales (Boundless, 5.9). (Boundless 5.9)
4. Freeman Blacks – American Identity
• Slaves brought strong
musical tradition that
was stemmed from
their African heritage.
• The slaves produced
instruments that were
original to the African
culture such as, drums,
banjos, gourd rattles,
and mandolins.
Source: PinterestSource: 4AfricanAmericanGifts.com
5. Freeman Blacks – American Identity
• “Blassingame concludes that cross-cultural exchanges occurred on
southern plantations, arguing that ’acculturation in the United States
involved the mutual interaction between two cultures, with
Europeans and Africans borrowing from each other’” (Boundless 5.9).
• Some African-Americans were even able to establish successful
businesses (Boundless 5.10).
• Some slaves gained freedom through “kitchen gardens” where they
grew their own food, saved their earnings and used those earning to
achieve manumission (Boundless 5.7).
6. Freeman Blacks – American Identity
• African-Americans formed
organizations such as The American
Society of Free People of Color and
established schools for African-
American children who were not
allowed in public schools to combat
discrimination (Boundless 5.10).
• During the growth of the United
States, slavery began to be abolished
(Boundless 5.10).
• Following the development of the
cotton plantations, less slaves were
freed because they were needed to
help develop the plantations
(Boundless 5.10). Source: atlantablackstar.com
7. Freeman Blacks – American Identity
•Although still discriminated
against, the African-Americans
were on their way to finally
gaining freedom.
•There is a delicate balance of
power developing between the
free and slave states Source: study.com
8. Freeman Blacks – American Identity
• Nat Turner’s Rebellion
• “Nat Turner's Rebellion was a slave rebellion that took place in
Southampton County, Virginia during August 1831” (Boundless 5.7).
• It was rumored that Nat Turner had intentions to “kill all the white
people”. This rumor led the legislature to pass laws so that slaves
could not leave their plantations and they took away their free
time and prayer ceremonies (Boundless 5.7.).
9. Freeman Blacks – American Identity
• Slave Insurrection of 1741
• “The Slave Insurrection
of 1741 was a supposed
plot by slaves and poor
whites in the British
colony of New York in
1741 to revolt and level
New York City with a
series of fires” (Boundless
5.7).
Source: Afflictor.com
10. Freeman Blacks – American Identity
• Free blacks contributed to the American identity through religion,
music, dance, and even agricultural techniques that they carried with
them from their African ancestors.
• Many free blacks earned an education and used their own wealth to
establish schools for black children.
• There were many free blacks that were regarded in the medical
profession as doctors, nurses and midwives.
11. Freeman Blacks – American Identity
• Although the African-Americans lived with restrictive laws,
discrimination, and cruel treatment, they were able to
combine their customs with Christian customs and create a
homogenous culture (Boundless 5.7)
• Freeman blacks experienced different treatment according
to where they lived, their color, education and profession.
• Regardless, of freedom from slavery. Free blacks still did not
enjoy rights equal to those of a white.
12. Source: https://www.nps.gov/resources/story.htm?id=251
Photo Source: https://eh.net/encyclopedia/the-economics-of-the-civil-war/
• The northern economy
survived due to the slave
based agriculture of the
south. There was fear that
the economy would not
survive at the end of slavery.
Freeman Blacks – Economy
• “In 1860, the economic value of slaves in the United States
exceeded the invested value of all of the nation's railroads,
factories, and banks combined.” (Arrington, nps.gov)
13. Source: http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/exhibits/reconstruction/section3/section3_intro.html
• At the end of the Civil War the United States faced a
reconstruction, which meant a reconstruction of the
economy as well.
• The economic lives of planters, former slaves, and non-
slaveholding whites, were transformed after the Civil War.
• Many whites had a hard time adjusting to no longer holding
so much power. Not only did they lose power over their
slaves, they also lost control of the economy.
Freeman Blacks – Economy
14. Source: http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/exhibits/reconstruction/section3/section3_intro.html
• White farmers whom lost a lot of their wealth during the
war gained interest in the cotton production economy.
These farmers were used to growing food that was used to
feed their families. They would now be working to create a
good that would later be sold and traded, which helped
support the economic reconstruction and growth.
• During Reconstruction, cotton remained the South's most
important crop with the tools and methods of production
essentially the same as before the war.
Freeman Blacks – Economy
15. Freeman Blacks – Economy
• In general, as the population of color became larger which
in turn made for more people to support the American
economy.
• Some free blacks achieved good wealth which included
both owning property and paying taxes.
16. Source: Boundless, Free Blacks in the South
Freeman Blacks – Economy
• The growth of the American economy was supported by
new jobs that were being created for the freed slaves.
• “Free blacks were often hired by the government as rural
police, to hunt down runaway slaves and keep order among
the slave population.”
19. Source: Boundless, Free Blacks in the South
• Free blacks in the south were
often mixed race children of
wealthy planters. As a result
these children had the
opportunity to gain wealth. In
the growth of the American
economy they were
sometimes granted transfers
of property and social capital.
Freeman Blacks – Economy
• The growth of the economy
at the time in which slavery
was ending was crucial. Many
slaves paid their owners in
exchange for their freedom.
This benefited the economy
greatly. The more money that
was being put into the
economy the stronger it
became.
20. Source: Boundless, Slavery in the Antebellum U.S. 1820-1840
• Some children of free
blacks became students.
One university was mostly
funded by wealthy planters
who paid for the education
of their mixed race
children. The beginning of a
strong education system
drastically supported the
new American economy.
Freeman Blacks – Economy
21. Freeman Blacks – Economy
Overall, after the Civil War, the United States faced a
reconstruction. The Economy took a big hit during the war &
after the war with the abolition of slavery. The Freemen Blacks
aided in population growth, job creation, & agricultural support
all of which supported the reconstruction of the economy at
this time. The economy continued to grow after this time.
22. Freeman Blacks- Politics
•When the American Revolution began an estimated 20% of
the population in the colonies was of African descent
(Boundless).
•The majority of these African Americans were slaves
(Boundless).
•The first official United States Census, taken in 1790, showed
that only 8% of the black populace was free (Boundless).
23. The Missouri Compromise
• In 1808, Congress abolished the international slave trade
(Boundless).
• This was done in accordance with the Constitution, which
stipulated that importing slaves would be banned in 20 years
(Boundless).
• In 1820, The Missouri Compromise prohibited slavery north
of the Mason-Dixon line (Boundless).
24. Free States vs. Slave States
• By 1810, 75 percent of African-Americans in the North and
13.5 percent of all African-Americans in the United States
were free (Boundless).
• By 1819, there were exactly 11 free and 11 slave states,
which increased sectionalism in the United States
(Boundless).
• For each free state admitted in the union there was another
slave state added to maintain a balanced Congress
(Boundless).
25. Sectionalism
• Sectionalism refers to the division of political values of that
was growing between the North and South (Boundless).
• By 1830, there were 319,000 free Blacks in the United States
(Boundless).
• 150,000 of these individuals lived in the northern states
(Boundless).
26. Slave Codes
• Slave codes were laws in each state defining the status of
slaves and the rights of their masters (Boundless).
• Many provisions were designed to control slave populations
and preempt rebellion (Boundless).
• While codes had many overall similarities they were largely
region specific (Boundless).
27. Free Blacks in the North
• Many free blacks were born free. Others acquired freedom
by way of manumission (Boundless).
• By the 19th century, there were flourishing families of free
blacks, although most free blacks struggled with poverty
(Boundless).
• In some Northern states, “free blacks achieved a measures of
both wealth and societal participation, owning property,
paying taxes, publishing newspapers and, voting”
(Boundless).
28. Free Blacks in the South
• By 1810, 4 percent of blacks in the South, 10% in the Upper
South were free (Boundless).
• Free blacks during the Antebellum Era were very outspoken
about the injustice of slavery. Free black published many
books and papers denouncing the cruelty of slavery
(Boundless).
• Free blacks had restrictions on both their civil and political
rights in most states (Boundless).
29. Notable Freeman Blacks
• In the case of Dred Scott, The Supreme Court ruled that African-
Americans were not citizens. This controversial decision was later justly
overturned (Boundless).
Photo Source-
(Pbs.org)
30. Notable Freeman Blacks
• Frederick Douglass was American slave who escaped to the North. He
later earned his education and eventually led the abolitionist movement
in the U.S. (Boundless).
Photo Source-
(Biography.com)
31. Notable Freeman Blacks
• John Sweat Rock, born free in New Jersey. He was a teacher, doctor,
lawyer and abolitionist. John Rock was the first black admitted to the
U.S. Supreme Court Bar (Boundless).
Photo Source-
(Blackhistory.com)
32. Works Cited
Boundless. Boundless U.S. History. 2016. Web. 2016
Henry Clay and the Missouri Compromise of 1820. Study.com. n.p. n.d. Web.
9 April 2016
Old Print Articles. Afflictor.com. n.p. 2012. Web. 9 April 2016
Pinterest. n.p. n.d. Web. 9 April 2016
Shakera. 4AfricanAmericanGifts.com. n.p. n.d. Web. 9 April 2016
“7 Things About the Field Workers During Slavery That You May Not Know”.
AtlantaBlackStar. n.p. 2015. Web. 9 April 2016
