Slaves suffered a harsh lifestyle in the South. While there were kinder masters who treated their slaves somewhat fairly, there were brutal masters who were very forceful upon their “property.” The area in which slaves resided, what type of agriculture they worked in, and when they lived all influenced the condition in which slaves lived. Throughout the years of slavery, it has changed immensely. In 1700, most slaves were African born men who worked on small farms. Few slaves spoke the same language or practiced the same religion. Since majority were men, they struggled to find partners and create a family. Women also struggled to have children due to diseases. In 1808, Congress banned the importation of slaves from Africa. By 1830, the amount
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At the beginning of the week, each slave was given a list of jobs that were required to be finished by the end of the week. This mainly occurred on the sugar and cotton plantations. In the morning, a bell or horn would sound to awake the slaves an hour before sunrise. They would then go off to the fields after they ate a small breakfast. Both men and women worked in the fields; however, there were a few women who milked cows, cared for children, cooked, and washed and ironed clothing. The slaves worked from sunrise to sunset. Once the sun had gone down and field work could no longer be done, slaves carried the cotton bales to the ginhouse, gathered firewood for supper, and fed the mules. After a long day’s work, the slaves slept in log cabins on wooden planks. Although Americans worked long hours, none of them experienced the brutality that the slaves went through. All slaves, including pregnant women, suffered whippings. They would often force the mothers to lie in indentions in the ground while they beat them. This supposedly protected the child from the abuse that the mother was taking. Some slaves worked their way up and became skilled workers such as carpenters, blacksmiths, gin operators, cooks, and butlers. They enjoyed the higher status rather than being a field
At the beginning of the week, each slave was given a list of jobs that were required to be finished by the end of the week. This mainly occurred on the sugar and cotton plantations. In the morning, a bell or horn would sound to awake the slaves an hour before sunrise. They would then go off to the fields after they ate a small breakfast. Both men and women worked in the fields; however, there were a few women who milked cows, cared for children, cooked, and washed and ironed clothing. The slaves worked from sunrise to sunset. Once the sun had gone down and field work could no longer be done, slaves carried the cotton bales to the ginhouse, gathered firewood for supper, and fed the mules. After a long day’s work, the slaves slept in log cabins on wooden planks. Although Americans worked long hours, none of them experienced the brutality that the slaves went through. All slaves, including pregnant women, suffered whippings. They would often force the mothers to lie in indentions in the ground while they beat them. This supposedly protected the child from the abuse that the mother was taking. Some slaves worked their way up and became skilled workers such as carpenters, blacksmiths, gin operators, cooks, and butlers. They enjoyed the higher status rather than being a field