The role of enslaved women on the British West Indian Sugar Plantation
TOPIC: What was the role of enslaved women on the British West Indian Sugar Plantation?
RATIONALE
In history women have been often perceived as useless and inadequate. This assessment is to highlight the role of enslaved women who resided and worked on the sugar plantations in the British West Indian islands before the abolition of slavery. In order to effectively understand the enslaved women’s role and situation, their social and economic states have to be taken into consideration.
ENSLAVED WOMEN AS PRODUCERS
In the British Caribbean, the enslaved women were very important in the production on the plantation. It must be noted that although reproduction was easier to acquire manual labour, the enslaved women were not valued for the reproductive skills since their masters thought that children took the women away from their responsibilities and it was usually cheaper to purchase new African rather than investing in time and money to care for a child.
Enslaved women especially Africans laboured in every area of plantation life. Only a number of enslaved women, however, became artisan slaves such as driveress. These roles were mainly given to trust worthy slaves who had been loyal to their masters for years. TABLE 1.1 below shows the rare case of Old Dido on Unity plantation in Jamaica who was a ‘driveress’.
TABLE1.1 Occupations Unity Plantation, St Thomas-in-the-East, Jamaica
Occupations of Enslaved Females
Old Dido Driveress
Bess Grasscutter
Betty Washerwoman
Rose Fowlwoman
Delia
RATIONALE
In history women have been often perceived as useless and inadequate. This assessment is to highlight the role of enslaved women who resided and worked on the sugar plantations in the British West Indian islands before the abolition of slavery. In order to effectively understand the enslaved women’s role and situation, their social and economic states have to be taken into consideration.
ENSLAVED WOMEN AS PRODUCERS
In the British Caribbean, the enslaved women were very important in the production on the plantation. It must be noted that although reproduction was easier to acquire manual labour, the enslaved women were not valued for the reproductive skills since their masters thought that children took the women away from their responsibilities and it was usually cheaper to purchase new African rather than investing in time and money to care for a child.
Enslaved women especially Africans laboured in every area of plantation life. Only a number of enslaved women, however, became artisan slaves such as driveress. These roles were mainly given to trust worthy slaves who had been loyal to their masters for years. TABLE 1.1 below shows the rare case of Old Dido on Unity plantation in Jamaica who was a ‘driveress’.
TABLE1.1 Occupations Unity Plantation, St Thomas-in-the-East, Jamaica
Occupations of Enslaved Females
Old Dido Driveress
Bess Grasscutter
Betty Washerwoman
Rose Fowlwoman
Delia
Bibliography: Moore, Brian L., B.W. Higman, Carl Campbell, and Patrick Bryan. Slavery, Freedom & Gender: The Dynamics of Caribbean Society. Mona, Jamaica: University of the West Indies, 2001. Print. Scott, Joan W., and Louise A. Tilly. Women, Work and Family. Psychology Press: Routledge, 1987. Print. Shepherd, Verene A.. Women In Caribbean History: The British Colonised Territories. Kingston, Jamaica: Ian Randle Publishers, 1999. Print.