Leaving their old plantations, the emancipated slaves went in search of families and jobs, experiencing the emotional release of being free. They legalized their marriages, seized control of their churches, and avidly pursued education through missionary and Freedmen’s Bureau schools. Despite white charges of idleness, freedpeople sought any kind of employment, many going to towns and cities for higher-paying jobs, army protection, and the assistance of Freedmen’s Bureau agents and free blacks. They used skills learned on the plantation to become independent blacksmiths, shoemakers, and draymen and continued to be employed in tobacco factories and flour mills. But most former slaves, without land or resources, became hired agricultural laborers. Accepting wage labor, they negotiated agreements that granted them more control over their lives–time off, an end to the gang system of labor, removal of family labor from the fields, and the right to keep garden crops. By the end of the 1860s, freedpeople had made remarkable progress, independently working the land, casting ballots, sitting in legislative seats, freely moving about, their children going to school.
Further Reading
Robert Francis Engs, Freedom’s First Generation: Black Hampton, Virginia, 1861-1890; Lynda J. Morgan, Emancipation in Virginia’s Tobacco Belt, 1850-1870.
This Vignette Provided By
Ronald Heinemann, Old Dominion, New Commonwealth: The History of Virginia, 1607-2007
On February 26 2008 Yasmin said: @ 1:32 pm
I don’t think that this is a good website to finds names of freed slaves. Yasmin(Quote)
On February 27 2008 VFH said: @ 11:02 am
[quote comment="474"]I don’t think that this is a good website to finds names of freed slaves.[/quote]
You are correct. This site isn’t intended for that purpose. VFH(Quote)
On March 3 2008 RSMaster said: @ 1:16 pm
that must have been someone else in my class – the teacher accidentally put this website under the wrong section. RSMaster(Quote)
On April 24 2008 Gabbisays said: @ 3:15 pm
I am doing a research project for my middle school English class, on the relation ship between slaves and their old masters. I think this is a good site for it, if anyone has other site-suggestions, please comment back. thank you. Gabbisays(Quote)
On April 25 2008 VFH said: @ 8:10 am
You might try some other VFH sites like the Virginia African Heritage Program (http://www.AAHeritageVa.org) or this visual record of the trans-atlantic slave trade: http://www.slaveryimages.org
Good luck! VFH(Quote)
On May 11 2008 johhny said: @ 11:44 am
this helped, ALOT johhny(Quote)
On September 30 2008 leo the lion said: @ 3:46 pm
ya im doing a reprot on changes for slaves i need one more page on changes after the war such as there rights and howe life was. this didtgive to much info any suggestion. please help. sincerly leo the lion gr leo the lion(Quote)
On February 9 2009 pie said: @ 8:11 pm
[quote comment="803"]I am doing a research project for my middle school English class, on the relation ship between slaves and their old masters. I think this is a good site for it, if anyone has other site-suggestions, please comment back. thank you.[/quote]
[quote comment=""]ya im doing a reprot on changes for slaves i need one more page on changes after the war such as there rights and howe life was. this didtgive to much info any suggestion. please help. sincerly leo the lion gr[/quote]
pie pie(Quote)
On April 21 2009 laughter2 said: @ 8:33 pm
ii thiink diiz doesnt really giiv enough iinfo cuz ii cant seem tew fiind any iinfo fo my project iin hiistory..nd also iits ot rite dat der giiviing out der names!! laughter2(Quote)
On January 12 2010 johnny appleseed said: @ 10:58 am
ya, what that person said! they are probably wrong. i dont know much i just got my greencard. and have onyl been in the states for 7 days johnny appleseed(Quote)