Yes, there were free Blacks during slavery, hundreds of thousands. As early as 1619 a class of free Blacks existed in America. Their numbers included children born to free Blacks, mulatto children born to free black or white mothers, slaves who had escaped to freedom, children of free black and Indian parentage, and slaves who bought their freedom. Ultimately, of the almost four million Africans enslaved in America by 1810, 13% or, almost five hundred thousand of them were free.
Initially, the enslaved could also be freed if they served in the Army during the
Revolutionary War with Britain(1775-1783). In the American Civil War(1862-1865) Blacks were recruited by the Union Army's US Colored Troops(USCT) regiments to fight for the North. Those Blacks that fought for the South joined the Confederate Army.
In all, alomost three hundred thousand Blacks served during the Civil War, and almost twelve thousand Latinos. Both groups were fighting for freedom.
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