In the 1800's, what was life like for a slave after they escaped to freedom?

Question

Websites are a plus. Thanks!

Answer 1

For a slave who won his freedom fighting for the Union, he would probably have pushed west and started new life farming in the new territories. Some would return to former lands and former owners, joining those who did not go to war to work as employees and getting paid, though at very low wages. Life either way would be hard for this first generation of free slaves, though those who managed to eventually own land or livestock became pioneer entrepreneurs. Those who stayed in cities became more educated and eventually took up professions.

A slave of the Confederate who escaped to freedom during or after the war probably lived the life of a fugitive on the run. Those who went west worked for those who went earlier and were later starters than the northerners.

There were many scenarios of hardship, abuse, and downright persecution (probably lasted three generations) before the Afro-American population increased in large numbers and education brought awareness of and demands for better, then equal rights.

I am neither American nor a historian. Above is from my fertile imagination. A more accurate resource would be:

Answer 2

I don't about the ones who made it all the way to Canda, but for those that ended up in the northern states, that weren't caught and returned to the south (Fugitive slave law of 1850), or the VERY few who had purchased their freedom, life was rough. Even though the north opposed the institution of slavery, there were still many, many people in the north that saw the escaped slaves as a lower class or lesser people. Northerners believed in freedom, though equality was another issue. They could not own land, vote, etc. They faced tough descrimination. Work was extremely tough to find - most had little experience outside of working in the fields. The few who had been house slaves at least had an ability to find some employment as servants for northern families. The high illiteracy rate of freed slaves also made life difficult for them, both in daily living and in employment. There were some "schools" - basically abolitionist families that taught reading and writing in their homes to try to help the escaped slaves. Most lived in abject poverty. A few found ways of working with the abolitionists and the underground railroad, to help others gain freedom, too.

Answer 3

those in potential oppress. Legislative bodies of Southern states handed rules making it a criminal offense for a slave to develop into literate. Many slaves have been tortured and maimed publicly whilst it replaced into got here upon that they had discovered to study. The type of slaves replaced into so super the whites feared knowledgeable slaves could set up an armed insurrection. This worry that the oppressed could earnings the potential to break the prestige quo of whites replaced into the greatest ingredient in prohibiting slave literacy.

Answer 4

This is a difficult question to answer, because I am not sure how successful slave escapes were. But I am assuming that many slaves made there way to Canada, beyond US jurisdiction. Those who stayed in the American north may have changed their names, and used whatever skills thay may have learned on the plantations to develop careers, all the while looking over their shoulders to make sure they were safe from slavecatchers.

Answer 5

Here are a few sites to get you started...
http://www.liunet.edu/cwis/cwp/library/aaslavry.htm
http://www.studyworld.com/harriet_tubman.htm
http://www.history.com/classroom/admin/study_guide/archives/thc_guide.0101.html
http://docsouth.unc.edu/classroom/lessonplans/aa_history.html
http://powayusd.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/teachers/stbass/Civil_War_Webpages/Sandra/Sandra/new_page_2.htm
http://www.wideopenwest.com/~cabuehner/Notes%20Abolition%20and%20Slavery.pdf
http://www.springfield.k12.il.us/schools/southeast/prac/The%20Underground%20Railroad.html

Answer 6

Probably in most cases.... not as good as they had it before.

Answer 7

hard, very hard. Nigh on impossible if you must know!