Free, white and twenty-one
Posted by RRC on April 16, 2007
In Reply to: Free, white and twenty-one posted by ESC on April 16, 2007
: : : : Ok ya'll. I googled this and find no reference. Does anyone know the origin of the phrase "free, white and twenty-one?" I think it's Southern US derivation.
: : : perhaps it is the opposite of "young gifted and black"?
: : : L
: : I am not 100% on this but I think it is from a Hollywood film, either "I Am A Fugitive From A Chain Gang" or "Gone With The Wind".
: It's an old saying. I don't know the origin though.
I believe it is based on a frequently used qualification used in old legal documents. Back in the "old" days (1700's at least), many rights were granted to free white men above the age of twenty-one years by many documents.
- Free, white and twenty-one lewis 19/April/07