"Former slaves" refers to people who used to be held in involuntary servitude or bondage but are no longer enslaved. They were once forced to work without their consent but have since gained their freedom. Full definition
Thanks to online sources, students can now read the words of former slaves with the click of a mouse. (educationworld.com)
It was an attempt to protect former slaves from being excluded from participation in society. (firstthings.com)
A mixture of English and African dialects, Gullah, still spoken by an elite few, is the language of former slaves who lived in the band of low country running along the rice - growing coast from South Carolina to Georgia. (automobilemag.com)