According to the United States Constitution, one of the main aspects of America is that “all men are created equal.” Throughout history, this statement has proven controversial and hypocritical. Two groups that faced discrimination and unequal opportunities were women and African Americans. During the antebellum period, free African Americans and white women did not receive the same treatment as white men in America. White women were expected to fulfill the roles assigned to them by men during this time. Catherine Beecher stated that “heaven has designated man “the superior” and woman “the subordinate””. Many people had this common belief that the differences and roles of men and women were natural and predetermined. It prevented women from having equal opportunities and rights. Free African Americans had the opportunity to express themselves, more than others, depending on whether they lived in the North or the South. Although there were some restrictions for free African Americans, many of them, especially in the North, were active in American society. They had the opportunity to take part in activities and have influence in society unlike women. Free African Americans experienced more freedom than white women in pre-Civil War America because they did not have clearly separate roles from white men like women did, free African Americans had more opportunities to express their opinions and have an influence on society, and they could undertake to achieve freedom for other free Africans more easily than women could do for themselves. Free African Americans were not required to fill certain roles in society as white women did during the pre-Civil War era. In fact in many cases they were able to live a decent life... middle of paper ......om and therefore did not experience as much freedom in pre-Civil War America as free African Americans. although there were still problems in the South, overall free African Americans experienced more freedom than white women during pre-Civil War America. Free blacks had no established roles and obligations that prevented them from having freedom as women did. White men stopped women from doing so much and ultimately made them lose their self-confidence. This made it even more difficult for them to fight for their rights, bring groups together, and experience freedom. Additionally, women did not have the same opportunity to express their opinions as free African Americans did. Therefore they did not have a lasting impact on society for a long time. Women did not have many of the opportunities that some free Africans had and this prevented them from experiencing greater freedom.