Northern Slavery Vs Southern Slavery

The existence of slavery lasted during the time of the colonies and continued when the colonies became the United States of America as a whole. Given that slavery was spread out across multiple colonies and states in the United States, it is safe to assume there was a great similarity and difference in slavery between the northern and southern regions. Slaves were treated as property, though their owners may have been more abusive in the South due to their needs for a higher quantity of workers to grow crops while other slaves in the North were more taken care of. They were used in different ways by owners to be profitable within the economy. Slaves shared similar or vastly different cultures from other slaves, sometimes depending on their
location, whether it included their domestic life or religious beliefs. Even after the colonies formed into the United States, slavery continued in the South while many abolitionists, people who were against slavery, fought for the freedom of slaves throughout the country. Although slavery in general shared a great deal of similarities, it was divided within the colonies and states in the United States. Slavery in the northern and southern colonies were very similar yet also vastly different in violence, economics, and culture.
In the South, slaves received limited freedom, were punished, and had many occasions in which they protested.
Violence in the South was more common than in the North since slavery was more heavily used in the South. Slaves in the South received little to no freedom in what they could do throughout their entire lives. The only exception was if a slave was set free by their master or escaped. Slavery in the south was soverned by the slave codes, which were a combination of customs, rules, and laws. "Slaves could not travel without a written pass. They were forbidden to learn how to read and write. They could be searched at any time. They could not buy or sell things without a permit. They could not own livestock. They were subject to a curfew every night" (“Slavery in the American South”). This quote explains how limited the slaves were as to what they could have done in their
lives.
The reason for such a high demand of slaves in the South was due to the needs of slaves to work in the plantations and plant crops. Slaves did not want to work hard simply because they were slaves without freedom. Due to this lack of hard work, slave owners used a combination of "harsh penalties with positive incentives" (Mintz and McNeil). This means that slave owners either punished their slaves in harsh ways such as torture or suffering or provided or bribed slaves with positive incentives in hopes to get their slaves to work harder. Some owners gave money or food to the slaves at the end of the year and some awarded prizes, holidays, and bonuses to the hardest working slaves. Slaves were punished for not doing their work in ways such as being sentenced to jail, chained up, or whipped (Mintz and McNeil).
With such a common use of violence to slaves in the South, the death rate for slaves from birth to age fourteen remained twice the amount as the white rate. Many slave infants died in their first year of life. A slave was averaged to live to 21 or 22 years old while whites lived around 40 to 43 years old. Slaves in the south rarely lived on into old age (Mintz and McNeil). This shows how little care was put into the health of slaves which lead to diseases or illnesses, how poor their living conditions were, and how hard they were being worked. Slaves were being worked to death at young ages. Slaves in the south were personal property to their owners by law except Louisiana. The master held authority over his human property as the Louisiana law states: “The master may sell him, dispose of his person, his industry, and his labor; [the slave] can do nothing, possess nothing, nor acquire anything but what must belong to his master” (“Slavery in the American South”). The owner could sell him, dispose of him, put him to work, make him suffer, or anything he pleased and under law there was nothing the slave could do about it. Slaves simply had no constitutional rights (“Slavery in the American South”). The slave codes and elimination of constitutional rights caused southern slaves to have a limited amount of freedom or no freedom at all.
In the mid 1700's, The Chesapeake was the largest slaveholding region where slaves worked on plantations. The Chesapeake was in the colonies of Virginia and Maryland. The increase in slave population due to the high demand of slaves to work on the plantations had a negative effect on free blacks in the Chesapeake region. Changes within the law treated all blacks as if they were slaves including the free ones. So the free blacks moved to northern cities for work and community life (“Southern Slavery”). This shows how little freedom even “free” blacks received in the South. If free blacks had no rights then there was also no rights given to the slaves unless their owner decided to give some freedom to them.
"In 1841, a bounty hunter kidnapped Solomon Northup, a free black man from Saratoga, New York, on the pretext that he was a runaway slave from Georgia" (“Slavery in the American South”). Many people from the South were kidnapping and bringing back free blacks in the North. These free black people used to be slaves in the South. Due to the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, their previous owners were allowed to take back these free men as slaves again. Northup was sold into slavery and lost everything including his family, freedom, home, and even his own name (“Slavery in the American South”). Northup’s kidnapping is an example of many other blacks who were limited to the freedom they had in the South. They were constantly living in fear of being captured and returned to slavery even when they were living freely in the North.
There were also many abolitionists that lived in the South who protested or rebelled for the freedom of blacks.
One of these people that rebelled was David Walker. David Walker, born in Wilmington, North Carolina, in 1796 or 1797 was an abolitionist. He was a free man but he did not like what he witnessed with slaves while in his youth. One time, he witnessed a son who was forced to whip his own mother until she died. He decided to influence slaves of the South to rebel with his own writings. In September of 1829, Walker published his Appeal which was targeted to the slaves in the South. The slaves found his writing "inspiring and instilled a sense of pride and hope" (“David Walker”). The slave masters, however, were upset so they made laws that would not allow blacks to read and banned antislavery literature to be distributed. The southern slave owners offered a reward for the death of David Walker due to his writings. Walker knew that publishing and distributing this writing would put his own life at risk but he was willing to do it anyways in hopes that he would inspire many slaves to fight for freedom ("David
Walker").
Nat Turner, born on October 2, 1800, in Southampton County, Virginia was another abolitionist (“Nat Turner's Rebellion"). Turner, a southern slave in Virginia, rebelled in 1831. He led a slave revolt where almost 60 whites were killed. A rebellion as successful or that resulted in many deaths from the whites was rare. White people outnumbered black people and had the power of the government and firearms on their side. However, slaves continued to rebel. They sabotaged tools and crops, pretended illness, and stole food from the master’s own kitchen.The most effective way to rebel was to run away. Nearly 60,000 slaves ran away from slavery before the civil war ("Slavery in the American South"). Turner went into hiding after the rebellion but was caught on October 30. On November 5, Turner was tried and sentenced to death. On November 11, he was hung and then skinned (“Nat Turner's Rebellion"). Turner is another example of an abolitionist who knew that they were putting their own life at risk but was willing to fight for the freedom of slaves.
Another person that rebelled was Solomon Northup. Northup was a slave who became a free man and moved to the North. But while he was in the North, he was kidnapped and returned to slavery which was allowed due to the Fugitive Slave Act. Northup tried to run away but failed. In 1852, a white carpenter who was an abolitionist met with Northup and learned about his kidnapping. The carpenter then decided to write letters to NY state officials that helped Northup be released as a free man from slavery. He was released from his bondage of slavery in 1853 and was able to go home to his family (“Slavery in the American South”). Abolitionists including Walker, Turner, and Northup all fought for the freedom of blacks.
In the North, slaves were also punished, received limited freedom, and had many occasions in which they protested. Slaves already did not want to work hard simply because they were slaves without freedom. Due to this lack of hard work, slaveowners used a combination of "harsh penalties with positive incentives" (Mintz and McNeil). This means that slaveowners punished their slaves in harsh ways such as torture or suffering. Slaveowners also provided or bribed slaves with positive incentives in hopes to get their slaves to work harder. Some owners sent the slaves to jail, chained them up, or whipped them for not doing work (Mintz and McNeil). Although many of the punishments were similar to the South's punishments, the punishments did not occur as often in the North because there were a lot less slaves and less of a need for the slaves to work in plantations.
The limited freedom in the North was different from the South. In the North, slaves were more often given the opportunity to work for freedom and rewards. Some slaves were able to receive freedom by entering a contract with their owner that they will work a number of years in return for their freedom. Others may have been set free for their faithful service or the will of their owners. Blacks who were free in the North had more rights than slaves but most of the slave codes still applied to them ("Slaves in New England"). Another way to get slaves to work besides physical pain was with rewards. Some owners gave money or food to the slaves at the end of the year or awarded prizes, holidays, and bonuses to the hardest working slaves (Mintz and McNeil). Although slave codes still applied in the North, the limitation of freedom was less than the South because they were able to work for freedom and rewards.
Similar to the South, abolitionists included a combination of the slaves and the free people. A fair amount of citizens in the North were uncomfortable with the entire idea of slave trade and slavery in as a whole. This included abolitionists in Massachusetts such as James Otis who wrote a pamphlet in 1764 of what he thought which stated, “The colonists are by the law of nature freeborn, as indeed all men are, white or black” (Brooks). In this quote, James Otis is saying that all blacks and whites should be free because they were born free by the law of nature. Slaves themselves were even beginning to protest for their own freedom. A group of slaves within Massachusetts petitioned the General Court to end slavery (Brooks). Both in the North and South, abolitionists were continuously fighting for the freedom of slaves whether it was through the free people or the slaves themselves.
Although the North had a portion of an agricultural economy, the industrial development and jobs in the cities is what made the North different from the South which was heavily focused on agriculture (Sochan). The economy in the South included agriculture and trade. In southern agriculture, cotton was “king”, slaves were rewarded with personal gardens, and rice and indigo played a large role along with the task system as well. There were many jobs to work at for slaves in the south. The majority of jobs were field jobs such as large plantations. The cotton picking time which began in August was a time of hard work and it also feared slaves because they had to be so consistent. Cotton was the top of all crops in the South that produced the most money (“Conditions of Antebellum Slavery”). After the invention of the cotton gin in 1793, millions of acres were beginning to produce cotton. As the land of cotton growing increased, the demand for more slaves increased as well in the south ("Slavery in the American South"). Slaves were sometimes allowed to cultivate their own vegetable gardens but it was more of a privilege than a right. The slaves could only work on their gardens when they had free time ("Southern Slavery"). Slaves raised rice and indigo in the South. Slaves were expected to achieve a labor system known as the task system in which they could leave fields early to take care of their own gardens and livestock (Mintz and McNeil).
In southern trade, domestic trading picked up after international trading ended. After international slave trade was terminated in 1808, older slave states such as Virginia and Maryland along with new areas like Mississippi and Alabama began domestic trading of slaves. Cotton was spreading west into new southern territories and plantation owners needed slaves to work the crops ("A Slave Experience of Being Sold South"). This allowed slave owners to acquire more slaves or new slaves even after the slaves were no longer being imported from other countries.
The economy in the North was less focused on agriculture and also focused on a variety of jobs (Neumann). Slaves and free blacks played a huge role in the North’s workforce (“Slavery in the Northern Colonies”). Historians make a reasonable case that slaves in the north helped play a large role on the economy. Even the slaves who did hard work in a household for their white owners helped (Harper). Slaves in the North were found in almost every field of Northern economic life. Slaves in the North worked as carpenters, shipwrights, sailmakers, printers, tailors, shoemakers, coopers, blacksmiths, bakers, weavers, and goldsmiths. Some became so skilled in their jobs that they took over many of the jobs over white workers. The North maintained a various amount of jobs for slaves compared to those in the south. Instead of using slaves mostly for agricultural labor, northern colonies trained their slaves to work in a more complex economy. Both men and women slaves performed household duties along with other skilled jobs in the North ("Slaves in New England"). The North had both large and small plantations as well, similar to the South. Slaves on large plantations were allowed to finish their work for the day and spend the rest of their time doing as they wished. Those on smaller plantations however, had to work by their masters side the whole day with almost little to no interaction with other slaves (Zagarri).
The economy in the North also involved a combination of farming and jobs in the cities. Farming in the North was not as effective as farming in the South. As agriculture is a huge role in southern slavery, slaves in the North were put to different jobs such as laborers for merchants and tradesman, domestic servants for the wealthy, and sometimes farmers on a smaller scale (Brooks). Slaves that were within cities with not much agricultural needs were assigned different jobs. They were domestic servants, artisans, craftsmen, sailors, dock workers, laundresses, and coachmen. Whatever the slaves earned was given to their master (Zagarri).
In northern population and trade, specific states contained the majority of slaves and slave trade was international. The three northern states with the largest slave population was Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island ("Slaves in New England"). Overall percentage of slaves in New England was only 2-3% but large cities such as Boston had about 20-25% of population as slaves. Even other large cities had a high percentage of slaves such as Philadelphia and New York (Zagarri). Although the first group of slaves were imported from Africa in 1634, there is not any actual slave trade with the North until 1638. In December of 1638, a ship brought the first shipment of slaves to Boston from Barbados in exchange for Pequot Indians who were enslaved from the North. In 1644, the development of the Triangle trade with New England began. In the Triangle trade, Boston merchants would import slaves from Africa and sell them in the West Indies. By selling them in the West Indies, Boston merchants were able to exchange these slaves for sugar so that they can make rum (Brooks). Slavery in the North helped expand the economy greatly. Small farms grew into large agricultural production, local and regional markets expanded, and manufactories rose ("Slaves in New England"). Although slavery was an issue with many people in the country, it was also beneficial to the expansion of the economy in both the North and the South in their own ways.
Culture in the South and North both played a role in the daily lives of slaves all across the country. The culture in the South and the North included families, religion, and folklore. Slaves stayed strong and united despite the constant selling of family members. Many slaves married and lived with their spouse for the rest of their lives. Children usually grew up in two parent homes (Mintz and McNeil). In order for a slave couple to marry, the owner had to approve before anything. Slaves could only marry within their own plantations or neighboring ones ("Slavery in the American South"). Southern slaves were poorly fed, housed, and clothed. Whites only provided what they needed to survive and usually nothing more or less than that ("Southern Slavery"). Slave families lived in their own homes known as "the Quarters." The homes however were not the best roofs to live under. They provided no warmth or air conditioning at all. The weather outside was the same they would get inside. It even leaked inside whenever it rained. The slaves food was very little but of decent quality including cornbread and bacon. The owners also usually provided clothes for the slaves that was appropriate according to the season they were in. However, sickness was common and the death rate of infants was double the amount to white babies. One of the most greatest fears of a slave was probably separation from their own family. When slave owners died, the slaves that he owned were usually sold to others which could cause separation between family. Solomon witnessed himself when another slave was sold away from her own daughter ("Slavery in the American South"). The family life of slaves were not acknowledged by the American law. Owners were allowed to sell any members of family away from the rest of the family and there was nothing that could be done about it. Larger slaveholders with many plantations split multiple families up (Mintz and McNeil).
Religion was believed by slaves in the South and the North and it helped continue their daily lives. Christianity and white supremacy played a large role on northern and southern slavery. Slavery was believed by the God of the Old Testament. Believed that it was a “good duty for people because it brought the gospel to the pagans of Africa” (Harper). Slaves religion and cultural traditions played an important role in helping slaves continue their hard lives. Many slaves picked up on burying their dead, mixed religious rites of using herbs and supernatural powers, and more (Mintz and McNeil). In the North, Slave Owners used religion against their slaves as a use to control them. Owners declared that slaves were taught that they were "miserable children of Noah and Adam" and that they were sinners who are now being punished (Harper). Through folklore, slaves used trickster stories with animals to teach their children valuable lessons (Mintz and McNeil).
From the information provided, it is safe to assume that slavery in the North and the South were similar yet shared many differences. Slaves were treated as property, though their owners may have been more abusive in the South due to their needs for a higher quantity of workers to grow crops while other slaves in the North were more taken care of. They were used in different ways by owners to be profitable within the economy including either farming or jobs in the cities. Slaves shared similar or vastly different cultures from other slaves, sometimes depending on their location, whether it included their domestic life or religious beliefs. Even after the colonies formed into the United States, slavery continued in the South while many abolitionists, people who were against slavery, fought for the freedom of slaves throughout the country. Although slavery in general shared a great deal of similarities, it was divided within the colonies and states in the United States. Slavery in the northern and southern colonies were very similar yet also vastly different in violence, economics, and culture.