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

One trip sent him driving more than 600 miles into rural Georgia to find Mark Thrash, a freedman born in Virginia who served in the Civil War.

From Washington Post • Jul. 19, 2022

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

Three books of Cicero’s jokes, now lost, were published after his death by his freedman Tiro.

From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith