Hierarchy among the Slaves One of the borders present on the plantation was the hierarchy created among the slaves. This hierarchy established the “pecking order” on the plantation. One of the ways that the division was made among the slaves was through the position or job they held on the plantation. The most powerful position that a slave could have is the position of overseer. The overseer is basically second in command over the daily workings of the plantation. The master is ultimately in charge of the plantation, but often times had more pressing matters to attend to, leaving the day to day business to the overseer. “The overseer was usually ignorant, high-tempered, and brutal” (Hunter 5). In the Underground Railroad, when Cora …show more content…
In the Underground Railroad, there is the example of the Hobb house. “Off to Hob with those who had been crippled by the overseers’ punishments, off to Hob with those who had been broken by the labor in ways you could see and in ways you could not see, off to Hob with those who had lost their wits. Off to Hob with strays” (Whitehead 16). The Hobb house was first occupied by the “damaged men, the half men” and then the women took up residence there. Cora became the most “infamous occupant, and the most long-term” (Whitehead 20). The other slaves made sure that the women in Hobb house stayed within that bounded space in every way, even if that meant the other slaves made up lies about the Hobb residents. For Cora, they made up stories about how she would sneak off in the night to “fornicate with donkeys and goats” and “those who found this last story less than credible nonetheless recognized the usefulness of keeping the strange girl outside the circle of respectability” (Whitehead 21). So the line was visibly drawn for the occupants of the Hobb house, on one side is the respectable and the other side remains outside the circle of respectability. The social hierarchy played an important role in the daily lives of the slaves just as all the other established borders
Fogel and Engerman´s ¨The Quality of Slave Labor and Racism¨ explains the economics behind slavery and which methods produced the most accurate and efficient results. Fogel and Engerman explained that one of the most important technological advances within the agricultural sector of the South after 1800 was in the realm of management, particularly in the “development of organizational methods which permitted southern planters to capture the potential benefits of economies of large scale operation.” (Fogel 278). On the plantations everything was setup to produce the best results, it was said it was organized as in a factory. Everybody was assigned to a certain tasks, that would keep him busy throughout the year. The various hands on a plantation were set up in gangs or teams which consisted of five different
There are three slave systems described in this essay. The first was a Northern nonplantation system. The second and third were Southern plantation systems, one around Chesapeake Bay and the other in the lower
Often times when talking about the institution of slavery in the United States of America, men are at the center of the discussion; whether they were owners or slaves, men are presented first. Black women are pushed in the background except for the most famous like Harriet Tubman and Sally Hemings. In North America, specifically the United States, more than six hundred thousand slaves were brought in from Africa and the Caribbean between 1620 and 1865, the laws regarding slaves were condensed into slave codes that varied from state to state. Female slaves usually received the worst of it. Abusing them was legal, since the were considered property and as long as the owner wanted, he could have his way with any women he chooses on the plantation. Female slave were subject to harsh punishment for refusing the advances of the master. As one of, if not, the most vulnerable group in America at the time, female slaves had more threats to their existence than black men.
“Planter not only held the majority of slaves, but they controlled the most fertile land, enjoyed the highest incomes, and dominated the state and local offices and the leadership of both political parties” (Foner 411). There were fewer than forty-thousand families that possessed about twenty or more slaves that qualified them as planters. There were also fewer than two-thousand families owned about a hundred slaves or more. The ownership of slaves provided the route to wealth, status, and influence. Slavery was the profit-making system, and slave-owners kept a close watch on world priced for their products to invested in enterprises such as railroads and canals.
Southern slavery was based on paternalism to justify the brutal reality of slavery, in which slaveholding gentlemen took personal responsibility for the physical and moral well being of their dependents – women, children, and slaves. The slave owner demanded unquestioning obedience from their dependents and intended to make them perfectly dependent to the white man. Most planters lived on their plantation with compelling strict order. Without the owner’s permission, slaves
Throughout the Antebellum Period, masters and slaves had a relationship similar to an owner and a piece of equipment today. Society viewed slaves as objects and the legal system viewed slaves as property of their owners. In State v. Mann, a case in which John Mann shot and injured Elizabeth Jones’ slave, Lydia. Mann had hired Lydia for a year. Judge Ruffin wrote, “The power of the master must be absolute, render the submission of the slave perfect.” This shows that planters believed that violence and complete power was the key to maintaining slavery, but rather this ideology accelerated slave resistance and Northern abolitionism, ultimately leading up to emancipation. The extent to which slave owners oppressed their slaves made it inevitable that slaves would attempt an escape or openly revolt against their masters, as well as spark abolitionist ideas in the North.
Between 1800 and 1865, slaves lived in the Southern States and worked in the tobacco, wheat, rice, corn and cotton plantations. Essentially, slavery was an economic institution with far-reaching benefits to slaveholders, since the value of slave labor was considerably more than the cost of their maintenance. Demands for democratization, respect for human dignity and American Civil War presented a major turning point in the institution of slavery as farmers turned to lesser labor-intensive production methods such as the use of Eli Whitney 's Cotton Gin. This paper analyzes different ways in which institution of Slavery affected the development of American South between 1800 & 1865, and the lives of people living in the region. In doing so the paper considers economic, political, social and cultural implications of the institution.
Slavery was common in the eighteenth century. Slaves were seen as property, as they were taken from their native land and forced into long hours of labor. The experience was traumatic for both black men and black women. They were physically and mentally abused by slave owners, dehumanized by the system, and ultimately denied their fundamental rights to a favorable American life. Although African men and women were both subjected to the same enslavement, men and women had different experiences in slavery based on their gender. A male perspective can be seen in, My Bondage and My Freedom by Frederick Douglass. A female perspective is shared in Harriet Jacobs’ narrative titled, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. Upon reading both of the viewpoints provided, along with outside research, one can infer that women had it worse.
Slavery was a horrible institution that dehumanized a race of people. Female slave bondage was different from that of men. It wasn't less severe, but it was different. The sexual abuse, child bearing, and child care responsibilities affected the females's pattern of resistance and how they conducted their lives. Harriet Jacobs' Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, demonstrates the different role that women slaves had and the struggles that were caused from having to cope with sexual abuse.
Slaves were not usually treated with respect in the households they worked in, most of the time, slaves were treated horribly. They would be raped, beaten, teased, whipped, and were victims of many cruel and unusual punishments that are unimaginable to the human race present day. Family was the most important thing to the African culture. Brothers tried their hardest to look over their younger sisters as best as possible. Old women and men with no family members to turn to, looked to the comfort of nieces, nephews, and cousins when they fell ill, and aunts and uncles played a primary part in the family as well. Men were not the only ones that were forced to take part in daily labor and routines but also women and children. Some slaves were assigned outside work in which they would tend the crops and more commonly known work the plantations on their masters estate. Women were more commonly assigned to kitchen work such as cleaning the houses, washing clothes, cooking meals, working as servants, and tending to the masters each and every need. Most women who worked in the houses were brutally raped by their masters whether or not they were married to a man or not. Although most women worked in a home setting, there were some women who did work outside with the men and children. Work was difficult on the slaves and their masters were not empathetic towards them in
Learning Team A will use several research methods including text, internet and other methods to explore the humanities and the effects and developments that the humanities of the Early, High and Late Middle ages had on society. We have made some very interesting findings and come up with some intriguing conclusions. The findings are most definitely in condensed form for the simplicity of our assignment, although if given an unbridled word count, surely we would demonstrate volumes of text form such interesting periods.
“He told me that I was made for his use, made to obey his command in every thing; that I was nothing but a slave, whose will must and should surrender to his…” The treatment of slaves varied in their personal experiences as well as in the experiences of others they knew, but Harriet Jacobs phenomenally described the dynamics of the relationship between many female slaves and their superiors with these words from her personal narrative, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl (1861). Before slavery was outlawed it was not uncommon for young female slaves to be sexually abused and exploited by their masters. Although many people know about the cruelty of the sexual assaults that made too many young girls victims of rape in the Antebellum South, most people are unaware of the complexity of the issue and how many different ways these women were abused.
Water is a fundamental resource necessary for all life on Earth. Humanity would be extinct without it. People think there is an unlimited supply of water, however there is not. The overuse of water is a problem that needs to be stopped. Society needs to learn to live in a more sustainable way. If humanity continues to overuse Earth’s natural resources the way it does today, the Earth will run dry. To prevent the depletion of water, people need to be aware of their impact on the environment and live sustainably. By controlling the population, limiting fossil fuel usage, and stopping greed, the depletion of water can be prevented.
It was then that she was subjected to treatment as a slave. As a slave, she endured cold treatment, words or looks. She was made to feel useless, inferior and inhuman.
The purpose of this paper is to analyze and discuss the results of my assessments from the Prentice Hall Self-Assessment Library. Three sections of this personality test were completed: personality insights, working with others, and life in organizations. The five factor model was used to help me understand my behavior. After completing the personality assessments, it has been determined that I require improvement in areas such that include interpersonal communication, and leadership skills. I have determined how what I have learned from the personality tests about organizational behavior can be applied in the workplace to make me a better employee, co-worker, or future manager. The significant part that the Holy Spirit plays in my life that will help me develop the tools that I need to succeed was discussed. A biblical perspective from the Old Testament on how God helped Moses can also be applied in developing these skills.