Freedmen (ethnic group)
The term freedmen refers to descendants of people of African descent who were enslaved by members of the Five Civilized Tribes, including Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Muscogee (Creek) and Seminole freedmen. They often overlap with those who are descended from those enslaved African descendants who voluntarily joined the Seminole nation, including those who fled from the Seminole Nation, when it adopted the practice of slavery, to Mexico, today known as Mascogos.
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 2,900 enrolled Cherokee freedmen (2017)[1], ~2,000 Seminole Freedmen and Black Seminoles | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Oklahoma, Coahuila, Texas, Andros Island | |
| Languages | |
| American English, African American Vernacular English, Mexican Spanish, Afro-Seminole Creole | |
| Religion | |
| Christianity | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Mascogos, Cherokee Freedmen, Black Seminoles, Creek Freedmen, Choctaw freedmen African Americans, Seminoles, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Cherokee, Muscogee |
Among the five tribes, only the Cherokee Nation (one of three Cherokee nations granted federal recognition by the United States government) and the Seminole Tribe of Florida (formally separate from the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma) formally recognize Freedmen as eligible for full citizenship upon proof of blood quantum.
See also
References
- Walker, Mark (2021-02-24). "Cherokee Nation Addresses Bias Against Descendants of Enslaved People". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2022-06-18. Retrieved 2022-06-18.