Figure 1.-- Free blacks in the north before the Civil War were involved in a range of mostly mannual occupations, in large measure because of limitations on educational opportunity and other aspects of racial descrimination. Often over looked is the fact that free blacks in the north had access to the American economy and laws protecting property. This was something that great majority of the wiorld's popultion in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and even much of Europe did not have access to. Thus there begin to form in the north a small black middle class. This anvrotype from the late 1850s shows a boy from an obviously solid middle-class family. Unfortunately his identity has been lost.

Free blacks in the north before the Civil War were involved in a range of mostly mannual occupations, in large measure because of limitations on educational opportunity and other aspects of racial descrimination. Of course most white Americans at the time also worked at mannual occupations. Women often worked as family domestics. Some blacks found work at tobacco plants, the textile mills, and other early factories. While the Northern states abolished slavery and emancipated slaves, that did not mean that racial prejudice was absent. Most northern white believed that hile slavery was wrong, blacks were inferior to hites, especially intelectully inferior. Most believed that blacls were not up to the demands of citizenship. And what would be called segreagation developed in the North. This was largekly a matter of individual actions and social convention rather thn laws establishihing segregation. Many propriters of hotels, theaters, restaurants, stores and other businesses often refused to service blacks although they often employed blacks in meninal positions. Some blacks had obtained rudimentary education. Thus some were able to set themselves up as merchnts. A small number were sale to enter journalism. Samuel Cornish and John Russwurm founded the first black newspaper (1827). Other blacks entered the ministry oficiating in black churches. Relatively few blacks participated in the movenment west. Much of the literature of the ante-bellum north stresses the very real disvrimination and limits on black employment and economic aspirations. Often over looked is the fact that free blacks in the north had access to the American economy and laws protecting property. This was something that great majority of the wiorld's popultion in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and even much of Europe did not have access to. Thus there begin to form in the north a small black middle class.

Created: 7:41 AM 5/25/2010
Last updated: 7:41 AM 5/25/2010