Existing comment:
Straddling Social Boundaries: The Urban Free African American Community:
Free African Americans lived in a twilight zone -- not enslaved but not really free. They were required to always carry a copy of their "certificate of freedom." Without proof of status, they could be jailed and, even after proving their freedom, required to pay for the cost of their stay in jail. If they failed to prove free status in sufficient time, they could be sold into slavery.
Despite this constant threat, the community grew on solid ground. Among southern cities with large free black populations, the opportunities in Washington were second only to those in New Orleans. In Washington, the occupations held by free African Americans included domestic workers, drivers, cooks, seamstresses, and laborers. Neighborhoods developed and thrived. African American churches were their backbone, and private schools catered to about 1,000 African American children who were legally barred from public schools. |