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Enslaved Field Hands: Slavery In The United States

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Enslaved Field Hands: Slavery In The United States
Enslaved Field Hands
Slavery existed in all the British American colonies. Africans were brought to America to work, mainly in agriculture. In Virginia, most slaves worked in tobacco fields. Men, women, and children worked from sunup to sundown, with only Sunday to rest. It was hard, backbreaking work.

Enslaved House Servants
Some enslaved Africans worked as cooks, laundresses, manservants, blacksmiths, coopers, or in other skilled jobs. These men and women were generally considered "better off" than field slaves, but they were still enslaved. What's more, they lived and worked every day under the constant watchful eyes of their masters, and had little time for themselves.

Free Blacks
The British American colonies had a small but important
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