were slaves freed during july 4th 1776?

Question

were slaves freed during july 4th 1776?

were slaves freed during july 4th 1776? if not then should african-americans celebrate independence day-NO!!!!!

Answer 1

Yes, on their lunch break. Then the massa cracked dat whip again!

Unfortunately, no. The issue of slavery was too hot to handle. It really wasn't much of an issue with the Declaration, but it became more important when it came to the drafting of the Constitution. There would have been no United States if they tried to tackle that issue then. That's just the sad fact. What they did was compromise on the issue. The problem with compromises is that usually NO ONE is happy with the arrangement.

The USA basically compromised itself right into the Civil War in the 1860s. Every decade saw some act or comprpmise on the slavery issue. The Civil War seemed to be the inevitable outcome.

The Founding Fathers saw this coming. Adams, Jefferson, Washington, Madison, all the big names had expressed at one time or another that they feared the slavery issue would tear the nation apart sometime in the future. But there was very little they could do about it at the time.

Love, Jack.

PS: I see many alluding to the Emancipation Proclamation and dating it at 1865. The EP was issued on January 1, 1863. Also, the EP did not technically free the slaves, at least not in a legal sense. In a de facto sense, the slaves were ALREADY being freed, wherever the Union Army was victorious. The EP really just recognized this fact.

The slaves were finally made "forever free," officially and legally, by the Thirteenth Amendment.

Answer 2

No, slavery was not abolished until the ratification of the thirteenth ammendment to the constitution, which was actually a year or so after the Civil war, so around 1866. As to whether or not African Americans should celebrate Independence day, it depends on whether you're glad there is a United States of America or not. If there wasn't, then you'd be an inhabitant of the largest province of the British Empire, and chances are blacks might never have been freed, especially considering the fact that it was American ingenuity that came up with most of the technologies that rendered slavery obsolete.

But, I mean, if you would rather be the slave of some British plantation owner, go ahead and boycott the date of the creation of the nation that freed your race.

Note To All: The Emancipation Proclamation only freed slaves in Confederate occupied territories--Union slave states were immune.

Answer 3

No one forces you to celebrate it, do they? Some of us celebrate Martin Luther King Day, some of us don't. You may celebrate as you wish, it's a free country, so far.

Now, I don't think any slaves were freed during the Revolution, I know my Yankee ancestors were against slavery then. I also know that they fought to free slaves, so I don't apologize for anything.

Answer 4

No- that's when the US colonies declared themselves independent from England. Slaves were not "freed" until 1865 and the Emancipation Proclamation.

Answer 5

No They were freed during the Civil War almost a century later.

Answer 6

NO! they were still opressed. It was not until January 1865 that the paper was signed to free them, the ones in Texas did not find about it until June 19, 1865, thus the Juneteenth celebration every year.

Answer 7

What Jack said. For a good portrayal of this controversy you might want to see the movie Amistad. A GREAT film based on actual events.

Answer 8

You have the freedom to celebrate or not.

However, if you hate this country so much that you can't celebrate it's independence day then perhaps you may want to think about exercising your right to leave.

Answer 9

No, freedom didn't come until 1865, or the Emancipation speech was given then at least.

Answer 10

No, they weren't. The emancipation proclamation wasn't till nearly a century later.

Of course, many people continue to enslave themselves by expecting government handouts via welfare or reparations for slavery.