AFRICAN AMERICAN

FREEMEN

19th Century Contributions to the American

Identity, Economy, and Political Issues Jason Piselli & John Deziel

Henry Ossawa Tanner

African American Freemen

“By the 19th century, there were flourishing families of free blacks who

had been free for generations. In the United States, some free blacks

achieved a measures of both wealth and societal participation, owning

property, paying taxes, publishing newspapers and, in some Northern

states, voting (Boundless Ch.5 Sec.8).”

American Identity

Following the end of the American Revolutionary

War in 1810, many slaves in the North and Upper

South were freed. Many black men fought in the

Revolutionary War, owned land, homes, and

businesses. In 1827 the first black-owned

newspaper, Freedom’s Journal, was established.

(Boundless Ch.5 Sec.8) (blackpast.org)

“I prefer to be true to myself, even at

the hazard of incurring the ridicule

of others, rather than to be false,

and incur my own abhorrence.”

-Frederick Douglass

Frederick Douglas escaped slavery and became a leader of the abolitionist movement. He was a dazzling

orator who inspired a nation with his anti-slavery writings. Douglas believed in equal rights for all people and

once said “I would unite with anybody to do right and with nobody to do wrong.” (Wikipedia)

(wikimedia commons)

COLORED FARMERS' ALLIANCE

In the 1880s black farmers in the South faced many

economic problems. The Southern Farmers' Alliance

barred blacks from membership, so a small group of

black farmers organized the Colored Farmers'

National Alliance and Cooperative Union. The group

was formed in Houston County, Texas on December

11th 1886. Membership was strong and in 1890 the

group merged with the National Colored Alliance and

claimed to have 1.2 million members. (Holmes) (itsoureconomy.us)

Harriet Tubman was an African-

American abolitionist,

humanitarian, and during the

American Civil War, a Union spy.

Tubman is probably best known for her contributions helping slaves escape to

the north on the Underground Railroad. The Underground Railroad was a

network of safe houses offered by anti-slavery abolitionists for the purpose of

hiding slaves as they made their way to freedom. Tubman herself was born a

slave in Madison, Maryland but later escaped. (Wikipedia)

“Many free African-American families in colonial

North Carolina and Virginia became landowners

and some also became slave owners. In some cases,

they purchased members of their own families to

protect them until being able to set them free. In

other cases, they participated in the full slave

economy. For example, a freedman named Cyprian

Ricard purchased an estate in Louisiana that

included 100 slaves (Boundless Ch.5 Sec.8).”

Land Owners

(Armburster)

“John Mercer Langston, abolitionist, politician

and activist in Ohio, Washington, D.C. and

Virginia. First dean of Howard University Law

Department, first president of Virginia State

University and in 1888, first black elected to US

Congress (Boundless Ch.5 Sec.8).”

Along with his brother Charles, Langston started his life-long journey of fighting for African-

American freedom, education, and suffrage. In 1855, when John was elected to town clerk in

Ohio, he became one of the first publically elected black officials. (Wikipedia)

(Library of Congress)

Francis Johnson was born in the West Indies and

immigrated to Philadelphia in 1807 at the age of 17. He

played the keyed bugle and violin. Although rare at the

time for an African American, Johnson was an

accomplished composer who also directed military bands

and taught music. “Johnson successfully rivaled white

musical organizations, receiving patronage from the

public in spite of the considerable racial discrimination

of the time (Wikipedia).”(Public domain)

Henry Ossawa Tanner (June 21, 1859 – May 25, 1937) was an African-

American artist. He was the first African-American painter to gain

international acclaim. After teaching himself some art, he had enrolled

as a young man in 1879 at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts

in Philadelphia. He was the only black student and became a favorite of

the painter Thomas Eakins, who had recently started teaching there.

Tanner was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His father Benjamin

Tucker Tanner was a minister in the African Methodist Episcopal

Church, the first independent black denomination in the United States.

In addition, he was an editor and political activist.

(Thomas Eakins)

Inventor Jan Ernst Matzeliger was born in

Dutch Guyana in 1852 and immigrated to

Philadelphia at the age of 19.

Jan Ernst Matzeliger - by Unknown

Jan’s came from wealthy family and was very well educated. He spent

the first part of his life working around machinery and became

interested in inventing a shoe-lasting machine. At the time shoes could

only be made by hand and was a highly skilled labor. Over the course

of five years, working for Harney Brothers Shoe Factory, Jan invented

a machine that could produce 150 – 700 pairs of shoes per day. This

new invention cut the price of shoes in half.

Oliver Lewis was the first jockey

to win the Kentucky derby

(Public Domain)

“Oliver Lewis was born in 1856 in Fayette County, Kentucky. Very little is

known about Lewis's life, but according to the Black Athlete Web site he was

"A family man, a husband and father of six children." Lewis was 19 years old

in 1875 when he entered the inaugural Kentucky Derby riding Aristide, a colt

owned by H. Price McGrath and trained by Ansel Williamson, who was also

black. In fact blacks dominated racing in the late 1800s, winning 15 of the

first 28 Derbies. By the early 1900s, however, blacks had been pushed out of

the business, which had also become wealthier and less accessible to the

working classes. Black jockey James Winkfield won the Kentucky Derby in

1901 and 1902, but after 1921 there were no black riders in the race until

Marlon St. Julien in 2000 (Hotaling).”

Freemen and the American Economy

Prior to the Civil War, there was a very small population of African Americans.

“The percentage of free blacks soared from one percent before the Revolution

to 10 percent by 1810.” (Boundless. “Free Blacks in the South.” US History to

1877.). This group included businessmen, politicians, and slave holders. The

impact of freemen on the economy, however, would not truly be seen until

after the Civil War and the abolition of all slavery.

The Abolition of Slavery

The abolition of slavery led to two economic dilemmas in America:

1. Plantation owners were left with no one to work their land. Slave labor had been the backbone of their economic survival. The Southern economy suffered greatly.

2. Former slaves were left with no means of survival. Although they never received monetary compensation for their work; they did receive food, shelter, and medicine from their owners.

Newly Found Freedom

Despite their oppression and mistreatment, former slaves were eager to work in

America as free men and women. While some freedmen went North or West

to find opportunity, others were forced to remain in the regions where they

were held as slaves

Most freedmen had little to no education and very few marketable skills so

finding gainful employment was very challenging.

Alternatives to Slave Labor

• Sharecropping: The act of being a tenant farmer, especially in the southern United States, who farms the land in exchange for a portion of the crops Source: Boundless. “Economic Growth.” Boundless U.S. History.

• Tenant Farming: An agricultural production system in which landowners contribute their land and often a measure of operating capital and management; while tenant farmers contribute their labor along with at times varying amounts of capital and management. Source: Boundless. “Economic Growth.” Boundless U.S. History.

Sharecropping vs. Tenant Farming

Tenant Farming

• Farmer rented land and a house from the landowner

• Farmer had control over the crops that were yielded from their land and could sell them at will and keep the profits

• Farmer’s responsibility to pay their rent to the landowner

Sharecropping• Had no ownership of land, house or

equipment. These were all borrowed from the landowner

• Farmer had no control of what they planted or how they were sold

• Landowner would hold all profits and after paying any outstanding debts the farmer had, would give the farmer their share.

Problem with Sharecropping

It was very difficult for sharecroppers

to get ahead. Inflation, poor growing

seasons and dishonest employers

contributed to a never ending cycle of

poverty

The Freedmen’s Bureau

The Freedman’s Bureau was a government agency set up by Lincoln in

1865. The Bureau was created to help freed slaves learn useful skills and

find gainful employment. They also negotiated contracts between

employers and workers. The Bureau made enormous contributions to

the education of freed slaves. In fact, “By the end of 1865, more than

90,000 former slaves were enrolled as students in public schools.”Source: Boundless. “The Freedmen's Bureau.” Boundless U.S. History. Boundless, 14 Nov. 2014.

Labor Contracts

With the help of the Freedman's

Bureau, contracts would be drafted

between freedmen and landowners.

These contracts stated the

expectations of both parties and what

shares the farmer would receive. The

contracts were legally binding and

filed with the State.

The Southern Economy

The South’s agricultural economy was devastated as a result of the Civil War and the abolition of slavery. Even after Emancipation, Southern plantation owners tried to continue to control labor by keeping their farmers in debt through sharecropping. Former slave women began spending less time in the fields and more time with their children. Freedmen were now allowed to come and go as they pleased. All of these factors led to decreased productivity and less revenue. The South’s troubled economy and limited job opportunities also made it less attractive to immigrants and as a result, missed out on many of scientific and technological advances seen in the Northern states.

Slavery and the Economy

Whether it be from slave labor or trade, it is undeniable that slavery made a significant contributed to the early American economy, especially in the rich agricultural landscape of the south. It can also be argued that the institution of slavery actually acted as an obstacle of economic growth in America. It created a culture of wealth based on the hard work of others to the extent that, especially in the deep south, being a hard working white American was actually looked down upon. This was a sharp contradiction to the rugged individualism that appealed to early Americans Slave states often lacked the creative thinking and innovative spirit that thrived in free state and led to many new inventions.

Politics

Many blacks who were elected as either state or

local officials during the Reconstruction era

(1865-1877) in the South had been free in the

South prior to the Civil War. Additionally, many

educated blacks whose families had long been

free in the North moved South to work and help

their fellow freedmen. (Boundless Ch.5 Sec.8)First Capitol of Washington (William Russell Birch)

Reconstruction and Politics

Although short-lived, the Reconstruction Era birthed

many African American politicians – all Republican.

It has been noted that there were “more than 1,500

African American officeholders during the

Reconstruction period (1865–1876)” (Wikipedia)

Important Amendments during Reconstruction

The Thirteenth Amendment – 1868 - guaranteeing United States citizenship

to all persons born or naturalized in the United States and granting them

federal civil rights.

The Fifteenth Amendment – 1870 - decreed that the right to vote could not

be denied because of "race, color, or previous condition of servitude. "

Source: Boundless. “Reconstruction in the South.” Boundless U.S. History.

John Sweat Rock was the first African American

to serve on the Supreme Court Bar

(Matthew Brady)

John Stewart Rock (October 13, 1825 – December 3, 1866)

was an American teacher, doctor, dentist, lawyer and

abolitionist, Rock was one of the first African-American

men to earn a medical degree. In addition, he was the first

black person to be admitted to the bar of the Supreme

Court of the United States (Wikipedia)

Hiram Rhodes Revels was a minister in the

African Methodist Episcopal Church,

Republican politician, and college administrator.

(Matthew Brady)

“Born free in North Carolina, he later lived and worked in

Ohio, where he voted before the Civil War. He was elected

as the first African American to serve in the United States

Senate, and was the first African American to serve in the

U.S. Congress. He represented Mississippi in the Senate in

1870 and 1871 during the Reconstruction era (Wikipedia).”

Joseph Hayne Rainey was the first African American to

serve in the United States House of Representatives

(Matthew Brady)

Rainey was “the second black person to serve in the

United States Congress (U.S. Senator Hiram Revels

was the first), and the first black presiding officer of

the House of Representatives. Born into slavery in

South Carolina, he was freed in the 1840s by his

father purchasing the freedom of his entire family

and himself. Revels and Rainey were both members

of the Republican Party (Wikipedia).”

Blanche Kelso Bruce was a U.S. politician who

represented Mississippi as a Republican in the U.S. Senate

(Matthew Brady)

“From 1875 – 1881 Bruce was the first African American to

serve a full term in the U.S. Senate. Hiram R. Revels, also of

Mississippi, was the first African American to serve in the U.S.

Senate, but did not serve a full term. During Reconstruction,

Bruce moved to Mississippi, where he became a wealthy

landowner in the Mississippi Delta. He was appointed to the

positions of Tallahatchie County registrar of voters and tax

assessor before winning an election for sheriff in Bolivar

County. On February 14, 1879, Bruce presided over the U.S.

Senate, becoming the first African American (and the only

former slave) to do so (Wikipedia).”

Suffrage for Black Voters in Washington D.C. 1867

Jan. 8, 1867 Congress overrode a veto by President

Andrew Johnson to give the right to vote to all men in

the District of Columbia. It marked the first time in

U.S. history where a law was passed that granted voting

rights to African Americans. (Glass)

Andrew Johnson (Brady)

After the Reconstruction Era

In 1877, as the Reconstruction Era came to an end, the Democrats regained control of the governments in the South. Soon after, they began pushing legislation through to counteract the changes made during reconstruction. These laws made positions in politics much harder for freemen to obtain. “Democrats were passing laws to make voter registration and electoral rules more restrictive.”

Source: Boundless. “The Freed Slaves.” Boundless U.S. History. Boundless, 14 Nov. 2014.

Political Struggles for Freemen

The following requirements were put in place by Southern Democrats to deter freemen from voting and running for office:

• Poll Taxes

• Literacy and Comprehension tests

• Residency and record-keeping requirements

• Jim Crow Laws

All of these actions contributed to a shard decline in voter participation in the post Reconstruction era

Conclusion

Freemen in America made many valuable contributions to the economy,

politics, and our American identity. They were just as much a part of

shaping our nation as any group.

Works Cited

Americas Reconstruction People and Politics of the Civil War (2003); retrieved from

http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/exhibits/reconstruction/section3/section3_wfarmer.html

Boundless (2015). History to 1877. Exploration and Settlements of the Americas. Retrieved from

https://www.boundless.com/learning/books/

Gale Encyclopedia of US Economic History (1999) retrieved from

http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3406400169.html

Glass, Andrew (2015). Congress expands suffrage in D.C. on Jan. 8, 1867. Retrieved from

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0108/7771.html

Holmes, William F (2015). "COLORED FARMERS' ALLIANCE," Handbook of Texas Online,

accessed April 02, 2015. Uploaded on June 12, 2010. Modified on September 4, 2013.

Published by the Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved from

http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/aac01

Hotaling, Edward (1999). The Great Black Jockeys: The Lives and Times of the Men Who

Dominated America’s First National Sport (California: Three Rivers Press, 1999)

Retrieved from http://biography.jrank.org/pages/2969/Lewis-Oliver.html

Wikipedia (2015). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org