Question

Free blacks in the United States: a. could testify in court and vote in most states but could carry firearms only with the approval of the local sheriff. b. sometimes became wealthy enough to own slaves. c. had the same rights as whites in the North but faced far more restrictions on their freedom in the South. d. made up nearly one-third of the African-American population in the South. e. tended to live in rural areas if they lived in the Lower South.

Answer 1

Free blacks in the United States faced regional differences in terms of rights and freedoms prior to the Civil War. In the Upper South, laws against them were harsher, while the Deep South offered slightly more autonomy due to the economic dependency on slavery. Even so, the phenomenon of free blacks owning slaves or amassing wealth was rare and most lived under the specter of slavery.

Step-by-step explanation:

The lives of free blacks in the United States prior to the Civil War were complex and varied by region. In the Upper South, including states like Virginia, laws were particularly harsh against free blacks, often requiring them to leave the state, and restricting rights such as testifying against whites in court or choosing employment freely. Conversely, in the Deep South, where the institution of slavery was more entrenched and economically vital, free blacks sometimes retained greater autonomy and had an easier time maintaining their rights.

Despite the general oppression and limitations placed on free blacks, there were notable exceptions. Some free African Americans, especially in places like South Carolina, Virginia, and Louisiana, were wealthy and educated. Notably, a few of them, like Antione Dubuclet of Louisiana and William Breedlove from Virginia, owned slaves themselves before the Civil War. However, the majority of free blacks in the South lived with the constant threat of slavery and faced significant discrimination and legal constraints.

Most free blacks lived in urban areas in the South and had limited mobility. They formed communities and, post-Civil War, when the Jim Crow laws were enacted, these communities faced a restructured society that removed many of their newfound freedoms, firmly entrenching segregation and white supremacy.

Answer 2

Free blacks in the United States:

b. sometimes became wealthy enough to own slaves.

Step-by-step explanation:

• The option a is not correct as the statement which states that black could testify in court and vote in most states but carry firearms only with the approval of the local sheriff is wrong.
• The option c is not correct as the they had no same rights as white in North.
• The option d is also incorrect as they didn't not make up one-third of the African-American population in the South.
• The option e is also incorrect as the they didn't tend to live in rural areas if they lived in the lower South.
• The option b is only correct as the free blacks in the United States became so much wealthy so they can get someone as a slave.