freedman

American  

[freed-muhn] / ˈfrid mən /

noun

plural

freedmen

1. a man who has been freed from slavery.

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freedman British  

/ ˈfriːdˌmæn /

noun

1. a man who has been freed from slavery

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Other Word Forms

• freedwoman noun

Etymology

Origin of freedman

First recorded in 1595–1605; freed ( def. ) + man

Explanation

An enslaved person who legally gained freedom was once known as a freedman. The term was most popular during and just after the Civil War. Before the Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th Amendment, a formerly enslaved person was commonly referred to as a "free Black" or "free Negro." Freedman and freedwoman became the preferred terms after the Civil War. During Reconstruction, President Lincoln established a Freedman's Bureau that was intended to help formerly enslaved people find shelter and jobs, learn to read and write, and connect with their scattered family members.

Example Sentences

In the afterword to one of her most autobiographical novels, “starring sally j. freedman as herself,” Blume remembered being “curious, imaginative, a worrier” when she was a girl, qualities she clearly has retained.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 21, 2023

The real origins of the song go back a hundred years again and they’re pretty obscure, even though it’s often attributed to a Choctaw freedman called Wallace Willis.

From The Guardian • Jul. 2, 2020

The area around Downsville, Harrison and Asa was home of numerous cotton plantations before the Civil War and freedman communities starting with Reconstruction.

From Washington Times • Mar. 26, 2018

“We have a right to the land where we are located,” Virginia freedman Bayley Wyat insisted.

From Textbooks • Jan. 18, 2018

“Queen Daenerys will return to Meereen in her own time in all her might and majesty. Until such time, His Worship King Hizdahr shall—” “He is no king of mine,” a freedman yelled.

From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin