Final answer:
Free blacks faced widespread discrimination and exclusion after the abolition of slavery, including restrictions from accessing steamships due to segregation laws like Jim Crow.
Step-by-step explanation:
During the period following the abolition of slavery, particularly in the Jim Crow era, free blacks faced significant social restrictions and were systematically excluded from many facets of public life. Although they were legally free, their social rights were frequently violated by laws and practices that enforced segregation and denied them access to public accommodations and opportunities. One of the areas from which they were notoriously excluded was steamships, in addition to other forms of transportation like buses and trains, facilities such as restaurants, grocery stores, and even public parks and pools. Therefore, the correct answer to the question is d) steamships.
The exclusion of free blacks from steamships was just one aspect of the wider segregation policies that targeted African Americans post-emancipation. These policies, including Jim Crow laws, ensured that African Americans faced discrimination in housing, employment, and the legal system, which profoundly affected their lives.