A teacher told me that African-Americans freed themselves. Is this true?

Answer 1

Harriet Tubman? Denmark Vesey? Amistad? Always good to answer questions in history class with other questions. The way I see it, yes. Africans from all over Africa and the Diaspora rebelled during the middle passage, took over ships, poisoned those who tried or did enslave them, brutalize them, and those who tried to dehumanize them. Africans, by demanding respect, showing humanity, made Europeans finally get how white supremacy was a moral sickness, and racism its vicious tool to try to dehumanize our brothers and sisters. Some used love, some used might. Specifically, through rebellions, the underground railroad, just freeing oneself, if not many others, as in Harriet Tubman's case, Africans and African Americans strategically, intelligently, and morally won their independence. It took European and other allies centuries to get it, but the majority came around. Quakers and other abolitionists understood the power of the slave narrative and speakers such as Frederick Douglass and Soujourner Truth, who helped convince many audiences to join in the independence movement, then called abolitionism. And many continued formally in the Civil War, which many historians do not think would have been won without the participation of African and African American volunteers. But it will continue to take years to get to freedom, and will continue to require European Americans to wise up about this country's true history of violence against not only Africans, but the indigenous people of this land, Puerto Ricans, Hawaiians, Chinese, and even European ethnic groups (check out the KKK and anti-Italian and anti-Jewish violence in the south). Now that racism has shifted to become institutionalized, where whites get unearned privileges just for living and studying and working in self-proscribed "safe"areas, it's hard for people to understand how racism works. Are there levels of freedom? Are certain people more able to say and do certain things, or anything? Who can have whole court systems protect their unspoken wishes, against a continuing struggle to get laws enforced?

Answer 2

hmmmmm...ask your teacher for clarification on this....this is a broad statement, and is not necessarily right or wrong. The civil war was fought, in part, over slaves/no slaves issue. When the North won, all slaves were "freed" but in reality, they left one system of slavery and entered another. So, in a way, your teacher is correct, but in a way, your teacher is wrong. The blacks "freed" themselves starting in the 60's....opened up the world to them...but true equality still does not exist.

Answer 3

Perhaps in a metaphorical sense... I think they 'freed' themselves of some of their burden through song, humor, and spirituality, it is ironic that the part of society that is the least free is usually the one that is the most free with it's philosophies and culture. But it was Lincoln who forever changed their status legally from property to human beings when he issued the Emancipation Proclomation in 1862.
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Answer 4

well they didnt just walk off because some president said it was ok. i really doubt the people that paid money to own them just sent them on their happy way because that was what some guy up north said to do. many of them did have to free themselves. some bought other peoples freedom and their own. many freed themselves in illegal ways like the underground railroad. even after the slave days they still endured a lot to be free and not tied to segregation and being treated unequally.

Answer 5

True. Only God can free a human being. Freedom is His gift to every living man and woman. The idea that Napoleon could free Jews or that Lincoln could free the slaves or that George W. Bush could free the Iraqis is absurd. St. Paul taught that all free men, whether slave or master, are "slaves for Christ". I'm not that big on St. Paul, but I agree that only God frees man. Therefore if you were enslaved by the government, you could remain free because they cannot enslave your heart and mind, only your limbs.

Answer 6

your teacher is right in a way they did free them self's like one already said the southern states didn't care what Lincoln said about the south they had their own president and government so when Lincoln said they were free they just started running away to the union picket lines but to say the Union troops treated them better like so many schools would portray the union troops as saints to the blacks is false they were free but they were not equal or treated equal in any way and as far fighting for the freedom of the blacks wrong also the union solders would have never fought to free slaves as many of the troops said in their own words most could care less if the south owned slaves they thought they were wrong for leaving the union

Answer 7

Freed themselves from what? If you mean slavery, they played a role in it, but so did Lincoln and the Civil War.

Answer 8

No. They were freed by the Emancipation Proclamation signed by Abraham Lincoln, and enforced by the Union army.

Answer 9

In the 21st century, in the American education system, the least reliable source for history and fact is - unfortunately - a teacher. No, they didn't free themselves.

Answer 10

Only in the sense that a few runaway slaves made it somewhat clear that something had to be done. Sounds like wishful thinking or an attempt at rewriting history.