A formerly enslaved person who has been granted or achieved freedom. Historically refers especially to formerly enslaved people in the United States after the Civil War.
From 'freed' plus 'man,' literally meaning a man who has been freed. The term became particularly significant in American history during Reconstruction (1865-1877) when millions of formerly enslaved people gained legal freedom.
The term 'freedman' carries profound historical weight—it represents not just individual liberation but a massive social transformation that reshaped American society! The Freedmen's Bureau, established in 1865, was one of the first federal social welfare agencies in U.S. history.
Legally denoted formerly enslaved men in post-abolition contexts; gendered language (freedman/freedwoman) was used to track emancipated persons, but 'freedman' often absorbed the generic, erasing women's specific histories and agency.
Use 'freedperson' or 'emancipated person' for generics; specify 'freedman/freedwoman' only when gender-specific historical documentation exists.
["freedperson","emancipated person","formerly enslaved person"]
Freedwomen navigated slavery's aftermath with distinct legal disabilities and social challenges; using inclusive language centers their experiences as separate from male counterparts.
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