“Poor freemen” were…

Asians who had come to work and now were free.

whites who lived on the plantations for free with no responsibilities.

property-less whites with no social mobility.

African indentured servants who came to America with the wrongful belief they would ever be free.

1 answer

"Poor freemen" were generally understood to be property-less whites with no social mobility. This term referred to individuals who, despite being free, lacked the economic means and social standing to improve their circumstances, often resulting in a precarious existence compared to wealthier peers.