What did Freedom Mean to the Enslaved in 1776

Black enslaved people had a completely different attitude to the word freedom than their white masters. Since 1619, the number of Africans who were kidnapped and brought to the American colonies had swelled to over half a million men, women, and children. For the enslaved, the lack of freedom was all they knew.

Some free Blacks lived in larger cities, but they were the rarity. Enslaved Blacks could hardly understand the difference that separated these free walking individuals. Being a free Black did not allow you to the rights of white persons, and strict unwritten rules dominated their lives, such as never looking a white person in the eyes, always being deferential, and never congregating with other free Blacks lest be construed as fomenting a revolt.

What the enslaved baffled most was the argument the Patriots made that the King of England would enslave the Patriots. How could that be? The Patriots were the Masters. How could the Masters complain about being enslaved? The King was not threatening them with a whip and forcing them to live in hovels. The enslaved Blacks scoffed at the Patriots’ concern that they would be enslaved. Enslavement meant having no voice about where you live and entailed forced labor while being closely supervised. Enslavement meant that you were not paid for your labor, and your time was not your own. Enslavement meant that you could not choose to live in one place and never choose the work you like to do.

Freedom to the enslaved meant something completely different than the Patriots. It started with freedom one’s own body – not to be bought and sold, not to be punished at the whim of a Master, not to be sexually abused, not to be forced to labor without rest, and not to be hunted down like an animal. Freedom started with the right to exist without violence. Patriots talked about liberty in terms of no taxation without representation, while the enslaved freedom as self-determination over their bodies.

Freedom for the enslaved could be explained by control over their family.  Blacks wanted to be able to marry legally, defend their own children, not be separated from their spouses, and raise a family without the fear of separation. This was one of the powerful and universal desires of the enslaved.

Freedom of movement was of great concern to the enslaved. They were confined, surveilled, restricted, and unable to travel without a pass. Freedom would mean being able to walk when you wanted, choose where you want to live, leave the plantation forever because movement was power.

Economic freedom was a prime concern for the enslaved. They wanted to be able to be paid for their labor, own land, reunite with their families, and build a life that would not be taken away. This was not a fantasy as some enslaved knew that in cities like Charleston, Philadelphia, and Boston, free Blacks had this freedom.

The yearning for freedom had never been snuffed out for the enslaved through one hundred and fifty years of bondage. The right to build a life with family and know that they will be free to live, work, and reach their own spiritual goals was always on their mind.