Freed African Americans refers to formerly enslaved individuals who were granted their freedom after the Civil War. They were emancipated from slavery and faced numerous challenges as they sought to establish lives as free individuals.
Related terms
Black Codes: These were laws enacted by southern states after the Civil War which aimed to restrict the rights and freedoms of freed African Americans.
Jim Crow Laws: These were state and local laws in the United States that enforced racial segregation, primarily targeting African Americans, from the late 19th century through the mid-20th century.
Reconstruction Amendments: The Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution ratified during Reconstruction abolished slavery, guaranteed equal protection under law, and granted voting rights regardless of race or color.