🕯️African American History – Before 1865 Unit 12 – Free Black Communities: North and South

Historical Context

• Free Black communities emerged in both the North and South during the late 18th and early 19th centuries
• Gradual emancipation laws in Northern states led to the growth of free Black populations
  • Pennsylvania's Gradual Abolition Act of 1780 was the first state law to provide for the eventual abolition of slavery
  • New York's Gradual Emancipation Act of 1799 freed all children born to enslaved mothers after July 4, 1799
• Manumission, the voluntary freeing of enslaved individuals by their enslavers, contributed to the increase in free Black populations
• The American Revolution's ideals of liberty and equality influenced some enslavers to manumit their slaves (Richard Randolph, Robert Carter III)
• Free Black communities faced numerous challenges, including limited economic opportunities, social discrimination, and the constant threat of being re-enslaved
• Despite these obstacles, free Black communities developed their own institutions, such as churches, schools, and mutual aid societies, to support and uplift their members

Northern Free Black Communities

• Concentrated in urban areas such as Philadelphia, New York City, and Boston
• Attracted freed slaves and runaways seeking better economic opportunities and greater freedom
• Established thriving neighborhoods with Black-owned businesses, churches, and schools (Philadelphia's Seventh Ward, New York's Five Points)
• Formed mutual aid societies and benevolent organizations to support community members in need
  • The Free African Society, founded in Philadelphia in 1787, provided financial assistance and moral guidance to the city's Black residents
  • The New York African Society for Mutual Relief, established in 1808, offered sickness and death benefits to its members
• Advocated for the abolition of slavery and the advancement of civil rights through organizations like the American Anti-Slavery Society and the Negro Convention Movement
• Faced discrimination, segregation, and occasional violence from white residents who viewed them as a threat to social order and economic competition

Southern Free Black Communities

• Emerged in both urban and rural areas of the South, particularly in port cities like Charleston, South Carolina, and New Orleans, Louisiana
• Many free Blacks in the South had mixed racial ancestry and some were the descendants of unions between white enslavers and enslaved women
• Some free Blacks in the South owned property and even slaves themselves (William Ellison, a free Black slaveholder in South Carolina)
• Maintained close ties with the enslaved population through family connections and shared cultural traditions
• Faced greater restrictions on their freedom and mobility compared to their Northern counterparts
  • Laws required free Blacks to carry freedom papers and restricted their ability to travel, assemble, and bear arms
  • Some Southern states required newly freed Blacks to leave the state within a specified period (Missouri's 1835 law)
• Despite these challenges, Southern free Black communities developed strategies for survival and resistance, such as forming secret societies and aiding runaway slaves

Economic Activities and Occupations

• Free Blacks in both the North and South engaged in a variety of occupations, often limited by racial discrimination and lack of access to capital
• Many worked as skilled artisans, such as blacksmiths, carpenters, and seamstresses (James Forten, a successful sailmaker in Philadelphia)
• Others found employment as domestic servants, laborers, and small business owners (Eliza Bryant, a successful dressmaker in Cleveland)
• In the South, some free Blacks worked as farmers, either owning their own land or working as tenant farmers
• A small number of free Blacks achieved significant wealth and owned businesses, real estate, and even slaves (Stephen Smith, a wealthy lumber merchant in Philadelphia)
• Free Black women often worked as laundresses, cooks, and nurses, in addition to managing households and caring for children
• Despite their skills and entrepreneurial spirit, free Blacks often faced competition and hostility from white workers who feared their economic success

Education and Literacy

• Free Black communities placed a high value on education as a means of personal advancement and community empowerment
• Established schools and literary societies to promote literacy and learning among both children and adults (The African Free School in New York City, founded in 1787)
• Many schools were founded and staffed by free Black educators who saw teaching as a form of racial uplift (Sarah Mapps Douglass, a teacher and abolitionist in Philadelphia)
• Some free Blacks attended integrated schools or were educated by white philanthropists who supported Black education (Prudence Crandall, a white teacher who opened a school for Black girls in Connecticut)
• Literacy rates among free Blacks were higher than those among the enslaved population, but still lagged behind those of whites due to limited access to quality education
• Free Black communities used their literacy skills to create newspapers, pamphlets, and other publications that advocated for their rights and challenged racist stereotypes (Freedom's Journal, the first Black-owned newspaper in the United States)

Religious and Cultural Life

• Churches played a central role in the spiritual, social, and political life of free Black communities
• Many free Blacks belonged to predominantly white churches, but faced discrimination and segregation within these institutions
• In response, free Blacks established their own independent churches and denominations (The African Methodist Episcopal Church, founded by Richard Allen in Philadelphia in 1816)
• Black churches served as spaces for worship, community gatherings, and political organizing
• Free Black communities also developed their own cultural traditions and forms of artistic expression
  • Celebrated festivals and holidays that honored their African heritage and commemorated important events in Black history (Pinkster, a Dutch holiday that was adapted by Black communities in New York)
  • Developed distinct musical and dance traditions that blended African and European influences (The ring shout, a spiritual dance practice that originated among enslaved Africans in the South)
• Free Blacks also participated in the broader cultural and intellectual life of early America, contributing to literature, art, and scientific knowledge (Phillis Wheatley, a poet and the first published African American woman)

Political Activism and Resistance

• Free Black communities were at the forefront of the struggle for abolition and civil rights in early America
• Participated in the American Revolution, with some fighting for the British in hopes of gaining their freedom (The Black Loyalists, who were promised freedom in exchange for their service)
• Organized and participated in slave rebellions and conspiracies, such as Gabriel's Rebellion in Virginia in 1800 and Denmark Vesey's planned uprising in Charleston in 1822
• Formed anti-slavery societies and worked alongside white abolitionists to advocate for the immediate end of slavery (The American Convention for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery, founded in 1794)
• Used the courts and the legal system to challenge slavery and racial discrimination (Elizabeth Freeman, a former slave who successfully sued for her freedom in Massachusetts in 1781)
• Participated in the Underground Railroad, a network of safe houses and routes that helped enslaved individuals escape to freedom in the North and Canada (Harriet Tubman, a former slave who became a famous conductor on the Underground Railroad)
• Organized conventions and meetings to discuss strategies for advancing the rights and well-being of free Black communities (The National Negro Convention Movement, which held its first meeting in Philadelphia in 1830)

Challenges and Discrimination

• Despite their legal status as free persons, free Blacks faced numerous forms of discrimination and oppression in early America
• Subjected to restrictive laws and codes that limited their freedom of movement, assembly, and economic opportunity (The Black Codes, a series of laws passed in the South that restricted the rights of free Blacks)
• Faced violence and intimidation from white mobs, particularly during times of social and economic upheaval (The Cincinnati Riots of 1829, which targeted the city's free Black community)
• Experienced segregation and exclusion in public spaces, such as churches, schools, and transportation (The Negro Pew, a designated seating area for Black worshippers in white churches)
• Struggled to secure equal protection under the law and were often subject to harsher punishments and unfair treatment in the criminal justice system
• Constantly at risk of being kidnapped and sold into slavery, particularly in border states and areas with a high demand for slave labor (Solomon Northup, a free Black man who was kidnapped and sold into slavery in Louisiana)
• Faced pressure to leave the United States and emigrate to Africa, as some white leaders viewed colonization as a solution to the "problem" of free Blacks (The American Colonization Society, founded in 1816 to promote the emigration of free Blacks to Africa)

Legacy and Impact

• The experiences and struggles of free Black communities in early America laid the foundation for the long fight for civil rights and racial equality in the United States
• The institutions and organizations established by free Blacks, such as churches, schools, and mutual aid societies, provided a model for future generations of Black leaders and activists
• The writings and publications of free Black authors and journalists helped to challenge racist stereotypes and assert the humanity and dignity of African Americans (David Walker's Appeal to the Coloured Citizens of the World, published in 1829)
• The resistance and activism of free Blacks, both in the North and South, played a crucial role in the eventual abolition of slavery and the passage of constitutional amendments guaranteeing citizenship and equal rights (The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments)
• The legacy of free Black communities can be seen in the continued struggle for racial justice and equity in the United States, from the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s to the Black Lives Matter movement of the present day
• The stories and experiences of free Blacks in early America serve as a reminder of the resilience, creativity, and determination of African Americans in the face of unimaginable adversity and oppression