What Impact Did Freedom Have On African American Freedom
In 1865, President Abraham Lincoln constructed an executive order called the Emancipation Proclamation that proved to be an integral part of African American culture. That historical turning point is celebrated as a reminder that freedom is a treasure. This day is nationally recognized as Juneteenth. But what did newfound freedom really look like for a former slave teenager?
As a teenager myself, I imagine their first thought would be to reconnect with family members that had been snatched away from them and sold to other slave owners. Family means everything to the African American community and I visualize life was pretty lonesome without the comfort of familial connections. Names had been changed and many slaves had to take on the surnames …show more content…
of their slave owners so reconnecting with family was not an easy task. So now they are free but alone and forced to survive as an adult.
Life after slavery was difficult.
Again, no longer having to succumb to inhumane treatment and considered as property rather than a person was thrilling, but a new set of struggles emerged. Whites were not passing out jobs even at the expense of losing their agriculture. Some former slaves had to resort to living in contraband camps with the military which proved to be extremely unsanitary. Many former slaves died from sicknesses. Other blacks turned back to working for their former slave owners. The compensation was low and their expenses were high. This made the process of becoming independent challenging. These kids had been told what to do for so long, very few were resilient enough to migrate to the northern states where slavery had been abolished and life not as complicated.
As a slave, they were not afforded the right to education. Those young blacks that had a strong will and determination found ways to learn to read and write once freed from slavery but there was still prejudiced treatment towards them. Imagine learning to read and write in order to be considered for jobs or fair opportunities only to have the finish line moved further away. No matter how hard they strived to be equal, there was always a heavy price to
pay.
Newfound freedom cost many slave teenagers their lives. Although excited about not having to be chained, whipped and sold, many did not know how to effectively survive away from their masters. No longer having to endure brutal beatings, forced removal from family and sexual assaults on the women, life outside of slavery was not as promising. Legal freedom did not come with social freedom. The Emancipation Proclamation "freed" the slaves from legal slavery but many did not know what freedom really looked like.
As a teenager myself, I imagine their first thought would be to reconnect with family members that had been snatched away from them and sold to other slave owners. Family means everything to the African American community and I visualize life was pretty lonesome without the comfort of familial connections. Names had been changed and many slaves had to take on the surnames …show more content…
of their slave owners so reconnecting with family was not an easy task. So now they are free but alone and forced to survive as an adult.
Life after slavery was difficult.
Again, no longer having to succumb to inhumane treatment and considered as property rather than a person was thrilling, but a new set of struggles emerged. Whites were not passing out jobs even at the expense of losing their agriculture. Some former slaves had to resort to living in contraband camps with the military which proved to be extremely unsanitary. Many former slaves died from sicknesses. Other blacks turned back to working for their former slave owners. The compensation was low and their expenses were high. This made the process of becoming independent challenging. These kids had been told what to do for so long, very few were resilient enough to migrate to the northern states where slavery had been abolished and life not as complicated.
As a slave, they were not afforded the right to education. Those young blacks that had a strong will and determination found ways to learn to read and write once freed from slavery but there was still prejudiced treatment towards them. Imagine learning to read and write in order to be considered for jobs or fair opportunities only to have the finish line moved further away. No matter how hard they strived to be equal, there was always a heavy price to
pay.
Newfound freedom cost many slave teenagers their lives. Although excited about not having to be chained, whipped and sold, many did not know how to effectively survive away from their masters. No longer having to endure brutal beatings, forced removal from family and sexual assaults on the women, life outside of slavery was not as promising. Legal freedom did not come with social freedom. The Emancipation Proclamation "freed" the slaves from legal slavery but many did not know what freedom really looked like.