Life Under Slavery
Life Under Slavery
As America grew in prosperity, extra labor was a new necessity. To cure the demand for much needed workers, American settlers turned to slavery. African slaves were exploited from their homeland and were forced to work under poor conditions. They were greatly suppressed by their owners and were thought of as miniscule beings. During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, African Americans were viewed as uneducated savages who were bent on slaughtering and raping the whites of America. Many slave owners were cruel and viewed slaves as inferior. However, slave owners were kind and developed personal bonds with his or her slaves. White Americans favored to invest in strong male slaves that were approximately twenty years …show more content…
old. Slaves were typically purchased from Africa or the Caribbean. Because the slaves originated from different cultures, there was often language barriers. In addition to language barriers, slaves had no way of securely establishing a family. Slave traders rarely cared enough to keep a family of African Americans together, so the stabilization of a family was rare. In addition to the lack of care from slave traders, African American women were often severely malnourished and unable to endure pregnancy which made the idea of a stable family even more unrealistic. By 1830, slave traders began to invest in both male and female slaves. Because many of the slaves were American born, they spoke a form of English called Pidgin which was widely common among the slave population. Due to the rise in popularity of plantations, slave-owners slowly began to reduce the trading of slaves, and African Americans began to establish a sense of security in his or her family. Marriage, now a reality rather than a mere dream, became increasingly common within the African American plantation population. Since slaves were now able to securely found a family, slaves began to reproduce and the African American population skyrocketed. Due to the surge of the slave population, importing slaves was unnecessary, and Congress banned the importation of slaves in 1808. A slave’s day began slightly before sunrise when he or she awoke to the toll of a bell or the trumpet of a horn.
Beginning at sunrise, a slave worked diligently on the plantation with at least ten fellow slaves and was required to follow the task system. The task system was exactly like a weekly list of chores. Slaves would be given a set of tasks and were required to complete them in an allotted amount of time. Women and men were both required to work in the fields; however, some women participated in other duties. Women who weren’t working in the fields would often care for children, tend to livestock, or complete other household jobs. A slave’s day ended at dusk because the lack of sunlight made working impossible. Weary from the exhausting labor, a slave would return to his or her cabin. Here, he or she would prepare a meal and would later retire to a bed constructed of wooden planks. If a slave was suspected of committing a crime or refusing to work, he or she was forced to endure punishment by the hand of his or her overseer. Most often, the overseer’s punishment of choice was a flogging. While being flogged, a slave would be forced to lie down or stand up while being lashed with a whip multiple times. Women, regardless of pregnancy, were punished as well. Pregnant women who were caught committing an act of rebellion were force to lie face down while placing their stomachs into a shallow hole dug into the ground to protect the infant. Then, the African American woman would be lashed with a whip. Despite being forced into submission, some slaves were given the opportunity to earn a higher standing within the plantation. These slaves were of a higher standard and felt the field hands were inferior to
themselves.
A slave’s family was primarily controlled by the master of the plantation. A master controlled the exchange of slaves to and from the plantation; thus, he controlled every aspect associated with the stability of a family. Slave families were not protected by law; however, many kind masters refused to separate them. This was not the case in all situations, and many times slaves would be relocated with disregard to previous family ties. Because a slave was never guaranteed his or her family would remain intact, “fictive” kin became a popular idea among the slave population. African Americans would bestow titles associated with family ties such as a grandmother, mother, or father to close friends. As well as the inability to securely found a family, the sexual demands of some masters created disrupt within the slave families. African American women were forced to please their master and would often find themselves pregnant with his child. These children were viewed as shameful to the African American population as well as the white population and were sentenced to taunting within his or her community.
Although it was difficult for the slave population to establish families, slaves in the United States reproduced faster than anywhere else in the Western Hemisphere. Because slaves of the United States married earlier, they could reproduce children for longer amounts of time. As well as reproducing faster, slaves living in North America had a higher life expectancy. Because the United States is equipped with rich soils that are capable of growing crops needed to sustain a healthy diet, slaves relied on corn and other vegetables that were grown at home. As well as vegetables, a slave’s diet relied heavily on pork, catfish, and other game animals. The meat from these animals provided much needed vitamins and minerals. Due to the slaves’ lack of immunity to diseases such as cholera, dysentery, and diarrhea and the lack of outhouses; drinking water was often contaminated by feces. However, slaves were benefitted by their immunity to diseases such as yellow fever and malaria.
Slavery was the sickening act of suppressing individuals and forcing them to abandon their lives. Without the contributions made by former slaves Nat Turner, Harriet Tubman, and many others; slavery would have spiraled out of control. Due to their attempts to oppress slaves, the African American population was given a sense of hope that fueled their fight against slavery in the future.
As America grew in prosperity, extra labor was a new necessity. To cure the demand for much needed workers, American settlers turned to slavery. African slaves were exploited from their homeland and were forced to work under poor conditions. They were greatly suppressed by their owners and were thought of as miniscule beings. During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, African Americans were viewed as uneducated savages who were bent on slaughtering and raping the whites of America. Many slave owners were cruel and viewed slaves as inferior. However, slave owners were kind and developed personal bonds with his or her slaves. White Americans favored to invest in strong male slaves that were approximately twenty years …show more content…
old. Slaves were typically purchased from Africa or the Caribbean. Because the slaves originated from different cultures, there was often language barriers. In addition to language barriers, slaves had no way of securely establishing a family. Slave traders rarely cared enough to keep a family of African Americans together, so the stabilization of a family was rare. In addition to the lack of care from slave traders, African American women were often severely malnourished and unable to endure pregnancy which made the idea of a stable family even more unrealistic. By 1830, slave traders began to invest in both male and female slaves. Because many of the slaves were American born, they spoke a form of English called Pidgin which was widely common among the slave population. Due to the rise in popularity of plantations, slave-owners slowly began to reduce the trading of slaves, and African Americans began to establish a sense of security in his or her family. Marriage, now a reality rather than a mere dream, became increasingly common within the African American plantation population. Since slaves were now able to securely found a family, slaves began to reproduce and the African American population skyrocketed. Due to the surge of the slave population, importing slaves was unnecessary, and Congress banned the importation of slaves in 1808. A slave’s day began slightly before sunrise when he or she awoke to the toll of a bell or the trumpet of a horn.
Beginning at sunrise, a slave worked diligently on the plantation with at least ten fellow slaves and was required to follow the task system. The task system was exactly like a weekly list of chores. Slaves would be given a set of tasks and were required to complete them in an allotted amount of time. Women and men were both required to work in the fields; however, some women participated in other duties. Women who weren’t working in the fields would often care for children, tend to livestock, or complete other household jobs. A slave’s day ended at dusk because the lack of sunlight made working impossible. Weary from the exhausting labor, a slave would return to his or her cabin. Here, he or she would prepare a meal and would later retire to a bed constructed of wooden planks. If a slave was suspected of committing a crime or refusing to work, he or she was forced to endure punishment by the hand of his or her overseer. Most often, the overseer’s punishment of choice was a flogging. While being flogged, a slave would be forced to lie down or stand up while being lashed with a whip multiple times. Women, regardless of pregnancy, were punished as well. Pregnant women who were caught committing an act of rebellion were force to lie face down while placing their stomachs into a shallow hole dug into the ground to protect the infant. Then, the African American woman would be lashed with a whip. Despite being forced into submission, some slaves were given the opportunity to earn a higher standing within the plantation. These slaves were of a higher standard and felt the field hands were inferior to
themselves.
A slave’s family was primarily controlled by the master of the plantation. A master controlled the exchange of slaves to and from the plantation; thus, he controlled every aspect associated with the stability of a family. Slave families were not protected by law; however, many kind masters refused to separate them. This was not the case in all situations, and many times slaves would be relocated with disregard to previous family ties. Because a slave was never guaranteed his or her family would remain intact, “fictive” kin became a popular idea among the slave population. African Americans would bestow titles associated with family ties such as a grandmother, mother, or father to close friends. As well as the inability to securely found a family, the sexual demands of some masters created disrupt within the slave families. African American women were forced to please their master and would often find themselves pregnant with his child. These children were viewed as shameful to the African American population as well as the white population and were sentenced to taunting within his or her community.
Although it was difficult for the slave population to establish families, slaves in the United States reproduced faster than anywhere else in the Western Hemisphere. Because slaves of the United States married earlier, they could reproduce children for longer amounts of time. As well as reproducing faster, slaves living in North America had a higher life expectancy. Because the United States is equipped with rich soils that are capable of growing crops needed to sustain a healthy diet, slaves relied on corn and other vegetables that were grown at home. As well as vegetables, a slave’s diet relied heavily on pork, catfish, and other game animals. The meat from these animals provided much needed vitamins and minerals. Due to the slaves’ lack of immunity to diseases such as cholera, dysentery, and diarrhea and the lack of outhouses; drinking water was often contaminated by feces. However, slaves were benefitted by their immunity to diseases such as yellow fever and malaria.
Slavery was the sickening act of suppressing individuals and forcing them to abandon their lives. Without the contributions made by former slaves Nat Turner, Harriet Tubman, and many others; slavery would have spiraled out of control. Due to their attempts to oppress slaves, the African American population was given a sense of hope that fueled their fight against slavery in the future.