Freedom in Texas

Freedom for free blacks was established through four different governments: Spanish, Mexican, the Republic of Texas, and Texas.

The Spanish and Mexican governments considered free blacks as citizens. With the equality blacks received from the Spanish and Mexican governments, numerous of blacks bought their freedom along with their families and moved to Texas. (Barr 1973)

Free blacks could own land and practiced any trade or skilled they wanted to. Some of them become weavers, buglers, freighters, innkeepers, land speculators, blacksmiths, ranchers, and farmers. They could also owned houses and town lots, raised sugar, cotton, and vegetables as a way of living. Texas at that time was a place for free blacks to acquire land to become wealthy and improve their life. (Barr 1973)

Interracial couples came to Texas. Texas also allowed them to avoid the social pressure of more populated areas.

In the Texas Revolution, many free blacks fought against the Mexican government because the free blacks hoped to improve their status through the eyes of the Anglos. (Barr 1973)