What were Freemen?
During colonial times, the term freemen described persons who were not indebted to the service of another, such as a slave or indentured servant. Usually all freemen were required to take an oath not to conspire against the laws of the colony. In Rhode Island, an act was passed by the General Assembly in 1746 requiring all freemen to take an oath against bribery and corruption. 1,867 freemen took the first oath the following year. Only freemen were entitled to vote in Rhode Island, but being a freeman did not automatically grant that right. A freeman’s property had to be worth $134.00 for the man and his eldest son to qualify to vote. These rules remained in place until Dorr’s Rebellion (see Rhode Island History for link on information to Dorr’s Rebellion and the subsequent changes to voting rights in Rhode Island).
