free people vs people

free people and people both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
free people	Yes	No	No	No
people	Yes	No	Yes	No

As nouns, people is a hypernym of free people; that is, people is a word with a broader meaning than free people:

free people: people who are free
people: (plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

free people (noun)	people (noun)
people who are free	(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
	the body of citizens of a state or country
	members of a family line
	the common people generally

free people (verb)	people (verb)
	fill with people
	furnish with people