The Antebellum South period (1812-1861) was a time where living conditions for slaves was extremely harsh and inhumane. Slaves working in more demanding roles were left to live in small constructed homes, …show more content…
Most of these structures would be made with wood, giving them a run down cabin look. In some scenarios, the slaves would be forced to build the house themselves. These cabins would often be overcrowded, some even housing multiple families/generations in one space. Little to no furniture or amenities are provided in the house. The floors would usually be dirt, which made conditions extremely unsanitary, leading to a fast paced spread of disease. Slaves frequently have to take care of their meals as well as keeping up with daily tasks/chores. If a slave owner organised meals for the slaves, they wouldn’t be healthy, merely to keep them alive. If not, women mostly prepared food grown from their own gardens or small farming areas made by slaves. If allowed by their owner, slaves could hunt and fish for a more beneficial diet. Malnutrition and food scarcity is a recurring issue in the Antebellum South for slaves. Along with nutrition, slaves would encounter issues with clothing. Slaves received a limited supply of clothing that would be made out of rough materials designed for durability, rather than comfort. Mostly, shoes would only …show more content…
The vast majority of slaves worked in the fields doing agriculture. Specifically working with cotton, tobacco, and rice plantations. Day to day life was very repetitive, consisting of early morning starts, preparation for the day, morning work, lunch, afternoon work, dinner, personal time (if any), and then sleep. In depth, slaves would awake typically to a horn or bell before sunrise. Preparation of themselves would happen quickly. The preparation ranged from having a wash, making a simple meal with leftovers or cornmeal, and cleaning the living quarters. Field slaves would then be working as soon as the sun started rising. Work tasks included hoeing, planting, weeding, harvesting crops, and carrying supplies. House slaves would most likely begin cooking breakfast for their master’s family, cleaning the house, and tending to the family. Field slaves normally had increasingly more gruelling work, as they were out in the sun for over 12 hours. House slaves were considered ‘lucky’ because they had less draining work, but in reality this would put them at greater risk in most situations. Particularly for women, as working in the house meant you were in the proximity of the slave owner. Sadly, higher chances of sexual assault would come with being in the house. Lunch would come around, giving the slaves approximately an hour to eat the food given (mostly cornbread or vegetables). Once work