Module 15 slavery in the united states flashcards quizlet. Field slave were considered animals and forced to undertake the most demanding of physical labour, hence field slaves often despised and hated house slaves, who were privileged, dressed and fed. Biography of a runaway slave recounts esteban montejos actions over the course of 40 years, along with his observations on cuban society and the political events through which he lived. The paternalistic language of slavery, the restrictions of slave law, and the circumstances of slave life created a sense of parity between black wives and husbands. A typical slave had horrific working and living conditions, slaves in the south were rarely. Narrative of the life of frederick douglass, an american slave, by frederick douglass, 18181895. The vast majority of these slaves worked in agricultural units in which they ploughed. He detailed the temptation faced by the slaves to sneak into the verdant garden for a piece of exotic fruit and further illustrated the unjustness and brutality that characterized a slaves life through the capricious treatment of the slaves who tended the stable old barney and young barney.
The souths economy depended on slaves mainly because slaves pick and harvested cotton. A year earlier, jordan had been released from andersons control after 32 years of enslavement. By 1720 there were about 18,000 people living in south carolina and 65% of these were enslaved africanamericans. It was also abolished among the sovereign indian tribes in indian territory by new peace treaties which the us required after the war. Frederick douglasss, what to the slave is the fourth of july. African americans in the antebellum united states us history i os. The north manufactured more of their items and didnt have as many farms because of the cold climate and rocky soil. As a result of this high infant and childhood death rate. The south had a lot of farms and plantations in which many slaves were needed to do the work. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Her work focuses on african american history, including the civil rights movement.
The slaves created their own way of getting married and the parents teaching their kids life lessons. Living conditions of slaves african american history for. A mystery that became a symbol of americas confused racial past appeared to have been settled at last yesterday after the keepers of thomas jeffersons legacy confirmed that the nations third. Give three details about the living conditions of slaves. Thousands of europeans also arrived in america as indentured servants bound to long terms of unpaid labour, usually for defaulting on debts. Profits from the slave trade and cotton shipping and brokerage provided capital for new. In the slave market of 1815 1850, which of the following was most valuable as a slave. What new economic situation created the conditions for a rapid increase in the. In a single room were huddled, like cattle, ten or a dozen persons, men, women, and children. King cotton and life in the south flashcards quizlet. Document based question the emancipation proclamation. How did the invention of the cotton gin affect the demand for slaves. Sep 07, 2016 slavery has been a fixture of the world since time immemorial. The following are characteristics of the slaves living conditions.
The majority of slaveowners were small farmers, but the majority of slaves lived on plantations of medium or large size. In the first decades of european settlement in america, the physical labor of establishing homes, agriculture, and commerce was carried out by bound laborersthat is unpaid workers who were owned by bound to a master who controlled not only their labor, but also all other aspects of their lives. Describe what living conditions were like for most slaves. Females of childbearing age used as a means of increasing the slave population. Slaveholders often hired doctors to treat sick or injured slaves. Cargo of twelve healthy slaves will be sold on thursday the 15th. In fact, the implied or covert threat of being sold, particularly of being sent to the west indies a death sentence by disease was a very effective means. Jun 30, 2018 the underground railroad was a loosely organized network of activists which helped escaped slaves find their way to a life of freedom in the north, or even beyond the reach of united states laws in canada. Many large slaveholders had numerous plantations and frequently shifted slaves, splitting families in the process. The cruelty of men in olaudah equianos middle passage 123. The question and answer section for narrative of the life of frederick douglass is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.
Slavery was the cornerstone of the southern economy. Plantation life created a society with clear class divisions. Full glossary for the narrative of the life of frederick douglass. However, because people became slaves at different times in their livescaptured in war as soldiers, as children, as criminal punishment, etc. Working conditions of slaves african american history for. Largely, the experiences recorded in olaudah equianos autobiographical account, the interesting narrative gustavas vassa, or olaudah equiano, provides a typical depiction of the situation, which other african slaves sold and traded in the americas had experienced. It is difficult to document much of the work of the underground railroad, as it was a secret organization with no official membership.
Which of these events transformed african american religious life. The typical life expectancy for a slave was just over thirty years of age. Common conditions among enslaved populations included. Slave day to day resistance field slaves pulled down fences, broke tools, worked so sloppily that they damaged crops, and sneak food out of kitchens pretending to be hurt, dumb, clumsy, sick, or insane. Polk did not agree with this threatened and start to provoke mexico so they could actually.
Slave life on a southern plantation in the 1800s people advertised in the newspaper when they wanted to sell something. Slave life at lloyd manor historians at lloyd manor on long island, new york, have used artifacts, lloyd family journals and other records to piece together a glimpse of slave life on this late 18th, early 19th century estate. The combination of hard physical labor, corporal punishment, a diet often lacking nutritional value, and poor living conditions contributed to a very high infant mortality rateat least 20 percent of the slave children died before the age of fiveand a much lower life expectancy than southern whites. Slave marriages and family ties were not recognized by american law. Douglass further describes the conditions of slave children on colonel lloyds plantation, telling us that his own experience was typical of slave children. As a result slave star to do revolts but the southern.
As we shall see later, the narrative presents a battle of two religions between douglass religion and the christianity of slaveholders. Jefferson did father slaves children world news the. The contrast between rich and poor was greater in the south than in the other english colonies, because of the labor system necessary for its survival. Jordan and his wife amanda moved to ohio, where they found gainful employment.
Start studying module 15 slavery in the united states. But the type of slavery we typically have in mind when we refer to it today started in the sixteenth century. The slaves had hard work to do, they had to get up at 4am to bring crops in from the plantations and they only had a 15 minute break. Such is southern life as it is three days in the year, as i found it the other three hundred and sixtytwo being days of weariness, and fear, and suffering, and unremitting labor. The interesting narrative gustavas vassa by olaudah equiano 1584 words 7 pages. But opposition to slavery did not develop into an organized effort until the age of the revolutionary war.
This also explains why female slaves were less likely to run away than men. The following paragraph is from incidents in the life of a slave girl, written by harriet jacobs, a former slave, in 1861. Slavery has been a fixture of the world since time immemorial. The underground railroad was a loosely organized network of activists which helped escaped slaves find their way to a life of freedom in the north, or even beyond the reach of united states laws in canada.
During the early colonial period, slaves and indentured servants enjoyed greater freedoms than. This would have created a problem for the south since its way of life depended on slaves. Although a female slaves labor in the field superseded childrearing in importance, the responsibilities of childbearing and childcare greatly circumscribed the life of an enslaved woman. Black slaves were relatively cheap the initial outlay was large, but it was a longterm, lifetime investment that required few economic outlays throughout a slaves life. Field slaves house slaves were treated far better than field slaves. American slave leader nat turner and his companions in a wooded area.
In fact, most slave owners owned fewer than 20 slaves. African americans in the antebellum united states us. The cruelty of men in olaudah equianos middle passage. Way of life based on their cultural heritagemusical traditions, stories of the ancestors. The legal rationale was created to legally define the status and and treatment of slaves. Marys city has a working farm as part of the museums attractions. The conditions of a slaves life depended highly on the disposition of their master. Douglass considers the move to baltimore a turning point in his life, one which he attributes to divine providence. The spray familys recreated 1660s tobacco plantation, tucked away on the banks of st. Only 3,000 slave owners owned more than 100 slaves. His descriptions of cultural life include sections on magic, religion, social and sexual relations, festivals, african slaves and criollo slaves those born. Given doctors limited medical knowledge, this care probably did little to improve slaves health.
Therefore, from the slaves point of view, the masters commitment was neither secure nor comforting. They went through a living hell of torture and punishment. Slaves were often treated as subordinate family members and were allowed to marry, and. Life inside the antebellum slave market, approximately one million enslaved. To a degree, the material conditions of slave life were predetermined by the status of the slave. Black slaves were relatively cheap the initial outlay was large, but it was a longterm, life time investment that required few economic outlays throughout a slaves life. The lives of africanamerican slaves in carolina during.
Donate friends of the conversation privacy policy terms and conditions corrections. James goose creek, a parish just north of charles towne, there were only 535 whites and 2,027 black. Equiano passage is between west africa and the caribbean island of barbados, at that time a common voyage as the british plantation island was among the most. Frederick douglass 18181895 was a former slave who became the. As a result slave star to do revolts but the southern whites.
And while the death rate declined for those who survived their first year, it remained twice the white rate through age 14. Some were brutally abused, while others enjoyed very kind treatment, such as was shown by the centurion who sought jesus on behalf of his slave who had fallen sick luke 7. This was largely a degradation of the slaves life because african slave conditions were far better then the americas slave conditions or those of the middle east or india. George washington never set a single slave free in his. Free time most slaves had to work from sunrise to sunset. What was one of the biggest differences between the life conditions of slaves and poor. Despite the emerging slave culture, life in the barracoons takes its toll physically and spiritually. During the presidential election of 1860, southern leaders told the south to secede from the union if lincoln were to win the election because they believed lincoln was an abolitionist. The south was afraid that lincoln would outlaw slavery while in office. The ones who got used to it didnt have much spirit.
The mexican war of 1846 took place because even though oregon was secure polk for the second time star to being interested in mexico. Slave resistance in the south often took all of the following forms except armed revolts. On august 7, 1865 jordan anderson aka jourdan anderson and jordon anderson wrote to colonel patrick henry anderson in big spring, tennessee. Some farm slaves who worked under a ruthless farm manager vilicus and those that worked in the mines were fed very little.
In the triangular trade, arms and textiles went from europe to africa, slaves from africa to the americas, and sugar and coffee from the americas to europe. The lives of africanamerican slaves in carolina during the. In addition to cotton, the great commodity of the antebellum south was human chattel. While slaves were poorly housed and clothed compared to most white southerners, they were more likely to receive medical care. Still, who became a successful businessman later in life, eventually wrote a book using his notes, which were happily never discovered. Slaves and indentured servants american revolution. What was life like for the typical slave in the american south. During the nineteenth century, enslaved african americans worked on large plantations in the us south under brutal conditions. This study guide consists of approximately 25 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of to be a slave. Working conditions of slaves african american history.
They only got 8 pounds of raw pork or fish for each month, so they needed to save what they could to survive the month. Click on the link below and choose one of the four. The second middle passage african american history blog the. Storytelling, song, and christianity also provided solace and allowed slaves to develop their own interpretations of their condition. If they were late for work they would have been whipped. As colonists demanded the rights to life, liberty and the. Which of the following was not a condition of slave life in the south. How slaves were treated before the civil war history essay. This extract, taken from chapter two of the interesting narrative, describes some of the young equianos experiences on board a slave ship in the middle passage. Which statement is the most accurate concerning the life of a slave.
Of course, fair treatment of slaves was not purely altruistic. The institution of slavery in north america existed from the earliest years of the colonial period until 1865 when the thirteenth amendment permanently abolished slavery throughout the entire united states. This is the era characterized by mass exportation of african labor by rising european nationstates in pursuit of colonial expansion. Describe the life of a slave on a plantation answers. Finley, was that no society could withstand the tension inherent in enslaving its own members. No matter how hard they worked, slaves could never look forward to an easier life. Because a slaves life revolved around work, most had time for only one meal, and perhaps a second light meal later in the day. How slavery affected african american families, freedoms.
Record at least 3 details about working conditions. Slaves were legally restricted to the black race and defined as property, not. Slaves in the united states used a number of measures to show resistance to slavery. Enslaved as a child, he was taken to the caribbean and sold as a slave to a royal navy officer.
Most began work at the age of six and continued until they died. He ordinarily was of a different race, ethnicity, nationality, and religion from his owner. What was the average rate of return on capital invested in a slave. All ideas of refinement and decency were, of course, out of the question. My father, by his nature, as well as by the habit of transacting business as a skilful mechanic, had more of the feelings of a freeman than is common among slaves. The south wanted the territories to be slaveholding states because the souths way of life depended on slaves. Some owners made their slaves work every day, others allowed slaves one day a month off and some allowed their slaves to have sundays as a restday. Narrative of the life of frederick douglass chapter iii. The atlantic slave trade was likely the most costly in human life of all of.
These are then contrasted to the new ideals of emancipation on the right which show slaves receiving a public education, paid employment and social acceptance. After the transatlantic slave trade, the second forced migration, or second middle. Narrative of the life of frederick douglass questions and answers. For example, we know that south carolina had a clear black majority from about 1708 through most of the eighteenth century. Most southerners did not experience this degree of wealth. While conditions varied, most africanamerican slaves endured a miserable existence and were subject to heavy workloads, strict restrictions, punishments and mistreatment. How was life different for slaves working in the planters home.
Andrews creek, contains the main house, tenant house, and tobacco houses barns, as well as the crops, gardens, orchards, livestock, and fencing that a successful planter would have owned. Sep 19, 2012 field slaves house slaves were treated far better than field slaves. Between 1840 and 1860, the american souths slave population. Heres what one advertisement from the 1820s might have looked like. He was sold twice more but purchased his freedom in 1766. Half of all slave infants died during their first year of life, twice the rate of white babies. Any owner was free to sell husbands from wives, parents from children, and brothers from sisters. Contrary to popular belief, the plantation owners did not live richly. Life for enslaved men and women article khan academy.