Freedmen
The term “Freedmen” generally means a former slave. The history of Freedmen in Oklahoma includes slaves that were once owned by members of the Five Civilized Tribes. The Five Civilized tribes are the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Muscogee (Creek), and Seminole.
After slavery was abolished, the US government wanted the Five Civilized Tribes to accept the Freedmen into their tribes and give them citizenship. Eventually all tribes except the Chickasaw gave the Freedmen tribal citizenship.
Some tribes accepted the Freedmen more openly than others. There were separate schools created for children of Freedmen, and most Freedmen had the right to vote in tribal elections.
When the Dawes Commission started the process of dividing Indian lands and decided to allot to individual citizens, all members of the tribes were required to enroll. It was up to each person to prove their relationship to the tribe. Freedmen were placed on a separate list and were allotted only half as much land as other enrollees.
Return to African American Events/Topics
Return to History Topics