Actually Unfree

Author's Note:  This is just my essay for social studies responding to the question how free were blacks in the north.

Back in the late 1700's and early 1800's, the start to ending slavery finally occurred.  By 1800, all of the states north of Delaware freed African Americans.  Although they were freed, many laws were still used to basically limit their freedoms.  Because of these laws, I believe African Americans couldn't be considered free.

One of the freedoms African Americans were denied of was their political freedoms.  Over half of the northern states either restricted or did not allow African Americans to vote.  This actually was a big problem because 4.9% of the entire US population was free African Americans living in the north.  Although this may not be a huge percentage, this was over 200,000 people, all of which, had they been able to vote, could have change a few things in the government.  Also, besides Massachusetts, no African American was allowed to hold jury duty.  In my opinion, I believe they were not able to hold jury duty because nobody would believe what they had to say.  Most people back then probably would have believe a white man's word over an African Americans'.

Besides political freedoms, economic freedoms were also denied.  For African Americans, finding a job would be especially hard because of the racism that still exists.  Getting hired, for one, would be tough. Also, since only 4.9% of the population was free African Americans living in the north, it was almost certain that an African American would have to work with a white man, and a lot of the time, the white man would refuse to work with him.

Along with economic freedoms, social freedoms were also denied.  African Americans were commonly segregated from white people.  School was one of these places that were segregated.  Back then, African American schools were supposed to be equal to white schools, but they weren't.  Their school funds were lower, teachers were paid less, and African American students were more likely to miss school compared to white students.  Not only were schools segregated, but churches were, too.  African American churches also held other events, such as publishing a newspaper and holding a literacy club, because of the lack of freedoms they had.

Although African Americans were free, technically, back then, I believe they were still being treated like a slave to a lesser extent.  They did not have many political freedoms, economic freedoms, were social freedoms.  I found the quote, "He shall be free to live, and to thrive, if he can, and to pay taxes and perform duties; but he shall not be free to dine and drink at our board (table) - to share with us the deliberations of the jury box- to attend us in our courts - to represent us in literature - to attend us at the bed of sickness and pain - to mingle with us in the concert- room, the lecture room, the theater or the church, or to marry our daughters," basically sums up what most people thought of African Americans in the 1800's.