Address to the People of Hinds County Broadside by John D. Freeman
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Scope and Contents
The Address to the People of Hinds County, authored by John D. Freeman in 1865, is a broadside that explores the legal and social status of freedmen in Mississippi during the Reconstruction era. In the address, Freeman acknowledges the constitutional amendments granting formerly enslaved individuals personal liberty and property rights while emphasizing the state’s role in protecting these rights. He particularly focuses on the legal implications of these changes, arguing that while African Americans should be considered competent witnesses in cases involving their own race, their testimony should not necessarily be accepted in disputes exclusively between white individuals.
This broadside provides insight into the complex and often contentious attitudes toward race, law, and society in Mississippi immediately following the Civil War. It reflects the broader efforts in Mississippi to maintain the foundations of the pre-war social and economic order, including resistance to full legal equality for freed African Americans. Additionally, the document foreshadows the emergence of the sharecropping system, which would define labor and economic structures in the post-emancipation South.
Dates
- Creation: 1865
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations. Due to the nature of certain archival formats, including digital and audio-visual materials, access to certain materials may require additional advance notice.
Conditions Governing Use
Researchers are responsible for using the materials in conformance with United States copyright law as well as any donor restrictions accompanying the materials. The user assumes all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any copyright claimants in collection materials. Copyright for official University records is held by The University of Alabama. The library claims only physical ownership of many manuscript collections. Anyone wishing to broadcast or publish this material must assume all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any claimants of literary property rights or copyrights. Please contact Special Collections (archives@ua.edu) with questions regarding specific manuscript collections.
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Biographical / Historical
John D. Freeman (1817–1886) was a Mississippi attorney, politician, and public official who played a significant role in state and national politics before, during, and after the Civil War. Born in Tennessee, he moved to Mississippi in 1835 and was elected district attorney in 1837. He later served as Attorney General of Mississippi from 1841 to 1851 and was elected as a Union Democrat to the Thirty-Second Congress (1851–1853).
During the Civil War and Reconstruction, Freeman was an outspoken advocate for Southern interests. He remained active in Mississippi politics, serving as a member and chairman of the Democratic State Central Committee. In 1865, he authored the Address to the People of Hinds County, a broadside that addressed the status of freed African Americans in Mississippi, reflecting contemporary efforts to maintain elements of the pre-war social order and restrict Black civil rights.
Freeman later sought election to the Mississippi State Senate, though it is unclear if he was successful. In 1882, he moved to Cañon City, Colorado, where he resumed practicing law until his death in 1886. His career illustrates the political and legal complexities of Reconstruction-era Mississippi, as well as the broader struggle over racial and social policies in the post-Civil War South.
Extent
1.44 Linear Feet
Language of Materials
English
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The University of Alabama Libraries acquired the Address to the People of Hinds County Broadside by John D. Freeman from James Arsenault and Company in 2021.
Physical Description
Foxed, dampstained at lower left corner, browned along old horizontal folds, two tiny punctures to the text, partial loss to one word.
Processing Information
Processed by Courtney Tutt, March 2025.
Source
- James Arsenault & Company (Organization)
- Title
- Guide to the Address to the People of Hinds County Broadside by John D. Freeman
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Finding aid created by Courtney Tutt, March 2025.
- Date
- March 2025
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the The University of Alabama Libraries Special Collections Repository