Causes Of Freedom In The North
It’s the 1800s. Tensions in the US rise as civil war brews in the future. The cause of this rapidly growing anger? Slavery. Throughout the southern US, slaves have become a necessary part of life. Thousands of slaves are still running the huge plantations that have made the South rich. Although, several free blacks live in the South, many are freed slaves or their children who were freed by their owners and they live a very restricted life. The North claims to be different. During this time period, the North is painted as a fair world. A paradise where all races are considered free and equal, but how true are these dreams? Is the North truly the promised “free land” it claims to be? How much freedom do northern Black Americans actually have? While it is true that slavery was rare in the North during this time (most were freed by 1800), there were still major restrictions in politics and society as well as education and economics which continue to hold African Americans back.
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Throughout history, political freedom has always been a major controversial topic.
It was no different in the North where blacks faced many political roadblocks. Voting was the main restriction. In the North, the only states to allow black males to vote without restrictions were Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Some states, such as New York and Indiana, allowed blacks to vote, but a $250 property requirement kept most from using this right. Even fewer states allowed black men to serve on a jury with Massachusetts being the only one. Although, Black Americans could vote and even serve on a jury in some parts of the North, the majority of black men were still unable to participate in politics. The government of the North was still mostly controlled by white
men. Politics may have been the more obvious difficulty, it is important to recognize that, like most problems concerning race, society was at the root of the discrimination facing African Americans in the 1800s whether they lived in the South or the North. From 1857-1858, an English visitor to America named Charles Mackay wrote that blacks living in the North “shall not be free to dine and drink at our board (table)- to mingle with us in the concert-room, the lecture room, the theatre, or the church, or to marry with our daughters. We are of another race, and he is inferior. Let him know his place and keep it.” The white population had grown up believing that they were better than their black peers. Because of this biased view, most Black Americans would not have equality for a long time. To the Whites in the North, blacks were inferior. Because of this biased opinion, it was difficult for many Black Americans to find work. While many African Americans were educated in the North, the schools were segregated and were usually poorer than white schools. Even with an education, many Black Americans struggled to find work. One young African American who was first in his class in 1819 said that “No one will employ me; white boys won’t work with me.” In the same speech, he says that he feels “insignificant and weak.” Even though many black men were just as smart as white men, it was widely assumed that black students did not have the same natural abilities as white students. Many smart African Americans lost well-paying jobs because of this and ended up working much poorer jobs instead. As stated in the speech made by the unnamed black student in 1819, “Drudgery and servitude then, are my prospective portion. Can you be surprised at my discouragement?” African Americans were social outcasts throughout the North, but there was one place they could go to feel equal. The church. Many Black Americans found refuge in the church. Here they were able to practice their religion, get married and fight for social causes. One church in New Haven offered a literary club, ran a Sunday school, published a newspaper, hosted abolitionist meetings, and even provided a refuge for fugitive slaves. The church was the eye of the hurricane. It was a place of safety where the raging waters of inequality were temporarily calmed. However, the storm still raged on outside. The church was only a small moment of peace before having to once again brave the open waters. The North in the 1800s was far from the equal utopia imagined by the people of the time. It was filled with racism and unequal treatment in everything from politics to getting a good education and earning a well-paying career. However, when compared to the South, the North was miles ahead in race equality. In the South, schooling for both white and free blacks was rare. Educating slaves was illegal. Slavery in the South would also not become illegal until 1863 when the Emancipation Proclamation was signed after the Civil War. Until then, the black slaves of the South would dream of the paradise that was supposed to be the North.
Throughout history, political freedom has always been a major controversial topic.
It was no different in the North where blacks faced many political roadblocks. Voting was the main restriction. In the North, the only states to allow black males to vote without restrictions were Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Some states, such as New York and Indiana, allowed blacks to vote, but a $250 property requirement kept most from using this right. Even fewer states allowed black men to serve on a jury with Massachusetts being the only one. Although, Black Americans could vote and even serve on a jury in some parts of the North, the majority of black men were still unable to participate in politics. The government of the North was still mostly controlled by white
men. Politics may have been the more obvious difficulty, it is important to recognize that, like most problems concerning race, society was at the root of the discrimination facing African Americans in the 1800s whether they lived in the South or the North. From 1857-1858, an English visitor to America named Charles Mackay wrote that blacks living in the North “shall not be free to dine and drink at our board (table)- to mingle with us in the concert-room, the lecture room, the theatre, or the church, or to marry with our daughters. We are of another race, and he is inferior. Let him know his place and keep it.” The white population had grown up believing that they were better than their black peers. Because of this biased view, most Black Americans would not have equality for a long time. To the Whites in the North, blacks were inferior. Because of this biased opinion, it was difficult for many Black Americans to find work. While many African Americans were educated in the North, the schools were segregated and were usually poorer than white schools. Even with an education, many Black Americans struggled to find work. One young African American who was first in his class in 1819 said that “No one will employ me; white boys won’t work with me.” In the same speech, he says that he feels “insignificant and weak.” Even though many black men were just as smart as white men, it was widely assumed that black students did not have the same natural abilities as white students. Many smart African Americans lost well-paying jobs because of this and ended up working much poorer jobs instead. As stated in the speech made by the unnamed black student in 1819, “Drudgery and servitude then, are my prospective portion. Can you be surprised at my discouragement?” African Americans were social outcasts throughout the North, but there was one place they could go to feel equal. The church. Many Black Americans found refuge in the church. Here they were able to practice their religion, get married and fight for social causes. One church in New Haven offered a literary club, ran a Sunday school, published a newspaper, hosted abolitionist meetings, and even provided a refuge for fugitive slaves. The church was the eye of the hurricane. It was a place of safety where the raging waters of inequality were temporarily calmed. However, the storm still raged on outside. The church was only a small moment of peace before having to once again brave the open waters. The North in the 1800s was far from the equal utopia imagined by the people of the time. It was filled with racism and unequal treatment in everything from politics to getting a good education and earning a well-paying career. However, when compared to the South, the North was miles ahead in race equality. In the South, schooling for both white and free blacks was rare. Educating slaves was illegal. Slavery in the South would also not become illegal until 1863 when the Emancipation Proclamation was signed after the Civil War. Until then, the black slaves of the South would dream of the paradise that was supposed to be the North.