Free Blacks in Antebellum America

What was life for free blacks in Antebellum America? Was it signiicantly better than life for enslaved people?

Life In Antebellum America

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    Although life for free African Americans were not as bad as being a slave, they still faced unequal treatment living as a free person in America such as:segregation, jim crow laws and black laws; therefeore living as a free person in Antebellum America was not Significantly better.   In 1820 233,504 African Americans were free of that population more than half still lived in the south. Many stayed because loved ones and family memebers were still enslaved in the south. As Free Southern blacks continued to live under the shadow of slavery and did not have asmany rights as northerners did. It was also more difficult for them to organize and sustain churches and schools.
   By 1860 the free African American poulation had nearly doubled; 47.3 percent of free blacks population compared to 32.9 percent lived in urban environments as a result,strong black  communities were able to develop. These communites  produced authors, professionals, artist, musicans, churches, schools and voluntary Associations. Eventhough the majority of free African Americans were living in poverty, some established successful businesses and fame. Elizabeth Taylor  also known as the black swan was a renowned vocalist. she made her debut in 1853 at Metropolitan Hall in New York in front of a white audience. Macon B. Allen was a black attorney who got admitted to the Maine Bar. James Warner  known as Okah Tubbee  was a well known talented musician who later moved to france. he learned to speak fourteen languages, played over fifty musical instruments and began a medical practice. 
     Living in the north provided more opportunities than being enslaved in the south,  however The North passed  "black laws" and  "fugitive slaves laws" placed as barriers to stop the full growth of African Americans. Abolitionist, Joseph C. Lovejoy described the north as a"partially free" land . Northern blacks were legally free, but the actual freedom they obtained was restricted; Often blacks experienced hatred and mistreatment that whites inflicted on them.  In certain northern states "black laws" restricted  the immigration of blacks, they also placed limits on black testimonies against whites. As more blacks became free more acuried land and money; this lead to state legislators to ban the right for black men to vote in the early 1800's.
   Overall free blacks in Antebellum America were deprived from the true definition of freedom, because of the partial freedom that started in the north, it continued for years and lead to the civil rights movement. If only blacks could have gotten the rights they deserved after decades of back breaking hard work, many violant confrontations that happen later in history could have been avoided. Antebellum America is very important to history because  the first steps that were made to free blacks to improve their lifestyle effected the future doings in history. Being free is always better than being enslaved, but it was not signicantly better. Although free blacks were not owned by others, they still were restricted from what they  could do; They lived under the scrutiny of whites and had many aspectes of their lives dictated. in a way they were still enslaved but with out the whips, chains and owners; therefore living Free in Antebellum America was not significantly better than being enslaved.