According to the Constitution of the United States, one of the most important aspects of America is that "all men are created equal." Throughout history, this statement has proven controversial and hypocritical. Two groups that face discrimination and unequal opportunities are 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 period. Catherine Beecher said that "heaven had designated man 'superior' and woman 'subordinate'." Many people believed that the differences and roles of men and women were natural and predetermined. This 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 participate in activities and exert 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 separated roles from white men like women, free African Americans had more opportunities to express their opinions and have influence on society, and they Free African Americans were not required to play certain roles in society as white women did before the Civil War. In fact, in many cases they were able to lead decent lives ... middle of paper ... om and thus did not experience as much freedom in pre-Civil War America as Afro- Free Americans. Although there were still problems in the South, overall free African Americans enjoyed more freedom than white women before the Civil War in America. Free black people did not have defined roles or obligations that prevented them from having freedom like women. White men stopped women from doing so many things and eventually 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 as much opportunity to express their opinions as free African Americans. Therefore, they did not have a lasting impact on society for a long time. Women lacked many opportunities that some free Africans had, which prevented them from experiencing greater freedom..