Freedmen-Aid Societies and Their White Supporters

            In class, we have discussed numerous times the hardships that had to be endured by the black population for years, decades, and even a century after the emancipation of the slaves in the United States. Blacks and their white allies struggled greatly to enact legal, economic, and political equality for the newly freed people (social equality would be an even harder battle to win). As mentioned, many of these fights for equality have been noted in class lectures. For example, early on political battles were fought to guarantee blacks equality as citizens and their right to vote. Many obstacles stood in the way of this equality, such as state-enacted black codes and, especially, the prejudice of most white southerners.

            However, some equality-oriented whites believed their battle was an ongoing success and, maybe, even a battle almost or already won. In 1867, Lyman Abbott made a report to the Paris international antislavery conference on the progress of the fight for black liberties and rights in America at the time. Indeed, Abbott gives a very positive outlook on the situation. With the ally of hindsight, we can see that this judgment was premature and most likely due to the bias of these still well-meaning whites’ belief in the success of their equality societies. Even with this bias in mind, however, it is interesting to read this document as it reveals the beliefs of radical whites who fully supported black equality, a group who was obviously not a majority among whites during Reconstruction. Of note were their beliefs that the situation of blacks in the early Reconstruction era was on par with serfdom, that the progress of freedmen-aid societies was successful, and the optimistic spirit they held for the future.

            After the slaves were first emancipated, measures, such as the black codes, were enacted by white southerners to limit the equality of blacks. Furthermore, many whites, both southern and northern, believed that a system incorporating white control over African-Americans’ actions and labor was the most proper course of proceeding with emancipation. This was where radical whites such as Lyman Abbott differed vastly from the majority of their white contemporaries. Rather, they supported a system of white and black quality. However, Abbott noted that, “the abolition of Slavery and the establishment of freedom are not one and the same thing.” (Abbott 217) Abbott compared the situation of African-Americans in early Reconstruction with the institution of serfdom (Abbott 218). Only with the support of law and freedmen-aid societies could blacks claim their rightful equality.

            While black codes were being abolished, radical whites also saw black equality taking shape in the success of their freedmen-aid societies. These groups were funded privately by previously abolitionist societies and churches as well as publicly through the governmental institution of the Freedmen’s Bureau. Furthermore, these radical whites believed that these groups were greatly succeeding in their goals. On this, Abbott commented that, “[black] labour has been reorganized, justice has been secure, [and] systems of education … have been established [for blacks]…” (Abbott 228). 

            Perhaps most outstanding, these radical whites believed that these perceived successes (sometimes real, sometimes not) indicated an optimistic outlook on black equality. While there were very real advances in equality, one may genuinely question how the radical whites were not aware of the extreme prejudice held by most whites against African-Americans. Abbott even proclaimed that, “the transition period from Slavery to liberty has been safely passed…” (Abbott 228). With our hindsight, we know now, however, that these radical whites’ optimism was premature and that it would be a century before full legal black equality would be won. Perhaps these radical whites were eager to proclaim victory for their cause; however, unfortunately, the struggle for black equality would be a long rough path, strewn with hatred, violence, grief, and pain.

 

Abbott, Lyman. “Survey of the Freedmen’s Bureau’s Work, August 1867.” In The Radical Republicans and Reconstruction 1861-1870, edited by Harold M. Hyman, 212-229. Indianapolis, IN: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, Inc., 1967.