Uncover the intricate ways race, freedom, and law intersected in the Americas. This powerful historical study details how enslaved and free people of color used legal avenues to secure freedom and citizenship, challenging the very definition of blackness as synonymous with slavery. Examining Cuba, Virginia, and Louisiana, the book reveals that the law of freedom, not enslavement, shaped racial identity. An essential read for students and scholars of legal history, race relations, and the African diaspora, it offers profound insights into the fight for personhood and social justice through legal contestation.