Blacks In The North Dbq Analysis

Free; not under the control or in the power of another. The Northerners used this term ironically. Slavery was a big part of northern colonial history with New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey having the largest black population. The life of a black person in the North was not easy. How free were the free blacks in the North? Freedom means the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without restraint. Free blacks in the North were not as free as whites due to political, social, and economic/educational rights.

First off, the free blacks were not treated as fairly as the whites politically. Citing from document A, not every state allowed blacks to vote. Out of 11,000 blacks, only 100 could vote in New York City. “ $250 property
As document C states, “No one will employ me; white boys won’t work with me. No one will have me in his office, white clerks won’t associate with me.” Even though blacks were provided with a chance of education, it never came in handy in the future when looking for a job. Pursuant to document D, “ The African Congregational Church in New Haven offered a literary club, ran a Sunday school, published a newspaper, hosted abolitionist meetings, and provided a refuge for slaves. The blacks were given a vast amount of political rights, but they were still excluded from the whites. For example, a separate church for blacks may have been a great place for blacks to perform and attend events. However, they still felt excluded and restricted because there were only certain places they could go.

In conclusion, the free blacks in the North were not as free as the whites due to restriction of political, social, and economic/educational rights. They had a limitation to voting, pursuing jobs, attending church with whites, and abolition. The free blacks in the North had more rights than slaves, but they still had less rights in common in comparison to the