Why African Americans Were Free Essay

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Americans were enslaved and treated poorly, because of their skin color. By the 1800s, some African Americans were free, because they fled to towns that allowed them to be treated fairly or they bought their freedom. Although some African Americans were free they were treated like they were still enslaved. Free African Americans did not have any rights, so they were still being prohibited from many things that whites had the privilege to do freely. For instance, free African Americans could not own land and they could only live in certain areas. While whites could own land and live wherever they desired. Whites had laws that allowed them to be free and live without limitations, while African Americans had unreasonable laws that they had to Free African Americans were still fighting for their freedom, because they were still being treating like people who needed to be confined. According to Deborah White, Mia Bay, and Waldo Martin authors and researchers of “Freedom on My Mind: A History of African Americans, with Documents” believes free African Americans were treated unfair because “in 1804, Ohio passed black laws requiring all free blacks to supply legal proof of their free status and post a $500 bond to guarantee their good behavior” (177). In other words, free African Americans had to keep documents on them to show proof that they were free, pay a fee, and they had to conduct themselves in a certain manner. African Americans were free, but they were still being treated like slaves who needed to be controlled, because they had to have proof of their freedom. Paying a fee and guaranteeing good behavior was a way for whites to make African Americans feel unfree and tamed, by making them promise to behave and obey laws or they would have to suffer the consequences. Overall, free African Americans were still fighting for their Free and enslaved African Americans would express their concerns or share comments by protesting or starting to petitions, to show others that a change needed to be made. According, to William Arp and James Llorens authors and researchers of “Environmental Justice For Black Americans: A Question Of Fairness” believe the most popular way free African Americans tried to fight for equality was signing petitions and going to group meetings (130). African Americans would start petitions that would circulate throughout their communities, because it gave them an opportunity to voice their opinion and possibly improve their current circumstances. For instance, African Americans would make petitions or protest to end discriminations and segregation. They were trying to change how they were being treated, so African Americans relied on themselves and people in their community to make that change happen. Therefore, free African Americans wanted equality, so they made petitions and protested with hopes of achieving

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