Free Black Americans Before Civil War
Even though slavery ended in the 1860s, free Black Americans made up 10% of the United States Black population. While the rest of the population was made up of slaves, those who escaped quickly learned that freedom didn’t mean access.
As the United States expanded, many now western states passed rules and regulations that made it difficult for Black citizens to successfully enter society. Ultimately, Black people opted to stay in the south, close to family, and in a better economic condition. Despite countless efforts to rob Black people of their rights, freed Black leaders made sure Black people were supported in their transition from slavery to freedom.
In this episode of Black History In Two Minutes or So hosted by Henry Louis Gates Jr. — with additional commentary from Vincent Brown of Harvard University and author Kate Clifford Larson — we learn about the often under told story of the free Black American.
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Archival Materials Courtesy of:
• Alamy Images
• Getty Images
• Library of Congress
Additional Archival Courtesy of:
• The Liberator
• Virginia State University Special Collections and Archives
Executive Producers:
• Robert F. Smith
• Henry Louis Gates Jr.
• Dyllan McGee
• Deon Taylor
Senior Producer:
• William Ventura
Series Producers:
• Chinisha Scott
• William Ventura
Executive in Charge of Production:
• Robert L. Yacyshyn
Post Production Supervisor:
• Veronica Leib
Post Production Coordinator:
• Katherine Swiatek
Written By:
• Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
Additional Writing:
• Kevin Burke
• Kelsi Lindus
• Chinisha Scott
• William Ventura
Editors:
• Margaret Metzger
• Anne Yao
Producer:
• Kevin Burke
Archival Producer:
• Megan Graham
Research:
• Zoë Smith
Assistant Editors:
• Patrice Bowman
• Nicholas Mastrangelo
Director of Photography:
• Nikki Bramley
• Nausheen Dadabhoy
• Stephen McCarthy
Graphic Design:
• Anthony Kraus
Special Thanks:
• Daina Ramey Berry
• Sam Hartley
• Elyssa Hess
• Stacey Holman
• Hasan Jeffries
• Peniel Joseph
• Imani Perry
Music By:
• Oovra Music
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