Final answer:
Emancipated slaves exercised their freedom by cultivating and selling crops for economic independence, rebuilding familial ties and making formal contracts, and establishing self-reliance in the face of persistent social and economic challenges.
Step-by-step explanation:
In what ways did emancipated slaves exercise their freedom? Following emancipation, freed slaves took significant steps to exert their newfound freedom and independence in several transformative ways.
- They used their "free" time to engage in agriculture, tend to their own crops, and sell surplus produce, which not only established economic self-sufficiency but allowed them to buy freedom for themselves and their families.
- They embraced the opportunity to rebuild families, make contracts, hold property, and move freely, activities that were systematically denied to them during slavery. Many searched for lost family members to reestablish family units and formalize their relationships.
- In the face of persistent racial inequality and systems like the convict lease system, African Americans sought to protect and build their communities, maintain dignity, and protect themselves against continued social and economic subjugation.
These actions demonstrate the resilience and determination of African Americans to claim their rights and establish autonomy in a society that continued to resist their full inclusion and equality.