freedwoman
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: A woman who has been released from a state of slavery or servitude; a female former slave who has gained her liberty.
Usage
The term is used to specifically denote a woman who was once enslaved but is now legally free. It is a historical and legal term, often found in contexts discussing emancipation, manumission, or post-Civil War history.
Examples
- After the Emancipation Proclamation, she began a new life as a freedwoman.
- The will of the plantation owner granted liberty to several enslaved individuals, making them freedmen and freedwomen.
- As a freedwoman, she sought to reunite with family members who had been sold to other states.
Advanced Usage
- The term is often used in contrast with "freedman" to specify gender in historical records and demographic studies.
- It can appear in academic discussions about the social and economic challenges faced by newly liberated people in the 19th century.
Variants and Related Words
- Freedman (noun): A man who has been freed from slavery.
- Freedperson (noun): A gender-neutral term for a person freed from slavery.
- Manumission (noun): The formal act of freeing a slave.
- Emancipation (noun): The process of being set free from legal, social, or political restrictions; liberation.
Synonyms
- Emancipated woman
- Liberated woman (in the specific context of manumission from slavery)
- Former slave (a more general term)
Antonyms
- Slave
- Bondwoman
- Enslaved woman
Noun
- a person who has been freed from slavery