It’s what everyone coming to this country wanted to have: whether they came on the convict transport ships from other countries to serve out their sentence, came willingly by an indentured contract arrangement, or were kidnapped from their native land and enslaved for life or a term while forced to labor to build someone else’s fortunes. The Civil War would end chattel slavery in the country, but the legacy of slavery would remain for generations. One classification alone was forced to exist under constructed rules and a culture that enabled people to question whether someone was really free: the Black, Mulatto and Mestizo population. Every other group enjoyed a presumption of freedom in order to travel about, unmolested, unless they were mistaken for being Black.
Never heard of the free tag or badge? Only some people have, but we’re here to change that. More have heard of certificates of freedom. Both were systems enacted by government in order to be able to make the identification of free and freed people of color easier so they could be distinguished from the enslaved. Badges were to be worn, and certificates were carried with you. Many states ordered the creation of lists of freed Blacks with the intention of having them removed from the country back to Africa because their presence was thought to interfere with the morale of the enslaved. Some did leave, but many refused to leave. Both items are a part of our country’s history and legacy that should never be forgotten. To read more about them, click on the page “History” for some information. Understand that although the country is the “United States of America” each state had their own individual laws that were not shared among all of the states. Still true today.
Since there was no uniform system in the USA, we meticulously created a representation of the free tag/badge. We also created a certificate of freedom using aged paper with a wax seal stamped with our freedom design.
We can’t change history, but we can help make more people aware of it so more can understand why the legacy of slavery and the oppression of rights needs to be stamped out once and for all in the USA. Order YOUR freedom tag to show your support.