So you think the slaves would have rather continued to work for free vs earning a paycheck.
Nobody ever worked for free,then again you might be right...Minimum Wage is about as free as you can get.
You're kidding right? Do you even know the definition of "slave"?
A number of them may have seen their standard of living fall when they were free
Keep in mind that a slave was a capital asset, and as such slave owners tended to ensure they were fed well enough to stay healthy and productive. During slavery days, the dangerous and unhealthy jobs were done by Irish immigrants -- if one got killed or disabled, there was always a replacement available for hire