John Freeman

John Freeman was born around 1781. He was approximately twenty years old when his enslaver, Dr. William Baker of Prince George’s County, Maryland, hired John out to President Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson paid Baker $8.00 a month for John’s labor.¹ John served as a dining room servant at the White House and also accompanied Jefferson on trips to Monticello. 

On an 1803 trip, Freeman met Melinda Colbert, a woman enslaved by Jefferson’s daughter Maria Eppes. They soon became engaged and prepared to ask Eppes for permission to marry. However, Eppes passed away on April 17, 1804.² Her death caused great concern for John and Melinda and they feared family separation. On April 18, 1804, John penned a letter to the president, asking Jefferson to purchase himself and Melinda.³ Jefferson declined to purchase Melinda, but did purchase Freeman for $400.00 on an eleven-year contract.⁴ Although the details remain unclear, at some point between 1804-1809, Melinda gained her freedom, joined her husband in Washington, D.C., and gave birth to several children. 

At the conclusion of Jefferson’s presidency in 1809, he prepared to bring John to Monticello. However, under Virginia law, Melinda could not return to the state without risking re-enslavement. Freeman once again wrote directly to the president, expressing the problems with leaving his wife and children. Jefferson decided to sell John to incoming President James Madison, charging $231.81 for the remainder of Freeman’s contract.⁵ John Freeman became free on July 22, 1815, and continued to work for President James Madison until 1817; he may have served as a messenger during this time.⁶ 

Following his White House tenure, Melinda and John officially recorded their marriage in D.C. on March 24, 1818.⁷ John worked as a waiter at Gadsby’s Tavern and served as a messenger for the State Department. The Freemans lived in a house on K Street and had eight children. They were active members of D.C.’s free black community and helped purchase other enslaved people’s freedom. John Freeman died in 1839 around the age of 58.⁸