Final answer:
Free African American men took jobs as sailors, learned skilled trades through apprenticeships, and worked in various occupations such as making shoes, washing clothes, and construction.
Step-by-step explanation:
During the time when free African American men struggled to compete for jobs with European immigrants, many of them ended up taking jobs as sailors on merchant and whaling ships, as well as apprenticing to learn skilled trades. They also found work in various occupations, such as making shoes, washing clothes and other domestic chores, and working in construction or as porters on the railways.