Slavery in America Land of the free???

Africa Slavery Begins Prisoners of war and captured villagers were sold as slaves early in Africa. Portugal, Spain, France, and the Dutch got involved in the slave trade during the Age of Exploration. North African Arabs buy Africans to sell to the Europeans on the West Coast of Africa. Captured Africans were gathered and marched to the coastal forts, sold, branded, and loaded onto slave ships.

Slave Ships The journey to America was called the Middle Passage. It was a horrible trip that took 6 weeks. Known as “floating prisons,” 10-20 % of slaves died on this journey to the Americas. Slaves were packed tightly below the decks, side-by-side, and stacked above each other. Slaves were released once a day to get fresh air, food, and to remove the dead bodies. Many slaves committed suicide by jumping overboard into the open ocean.

Slave Auctions Slaves were moved to pens where they were checked over & “fattened up.” Slaves were sold like property and examined by potential buyers. Families were split up, never to see each other again. Many slaves were sold to cotton plantation owners in the deep South. America

Field Work Domestic Work Most live in Deep South Facts Quote Picture Field Work Most live in Deep South Work sunrise to sunset Treated like animals / property Cotton Gin = more slaves needed “Some picked 300 to 800 pounds and toted it a mile to the cotton house. If they didn’t get the work done, they got whipped till they had blisters on them.” Domestic Work “Because of constant contact [with the master’s family] the house servants were much more likely to be model slaves. He was raised to believe that being a house servant was a great honor.”

Field Work Domestic Work Most live in Deep South Facts Quote Picture Field Work Most live in Deep South Work sunrise to sunset Treated like animals / property Cotton Gin = more slaves needed “Some picked 300 to 800 pounds and toted it a mile to the cotton house. If they didn’t get the work done, they got whipped till they had blisters on them.” Domestic Work Maids, cooks, butlers, weavers, carpenters, smiths, nurses Easier than being in fields Some lived in the master’s house. “Because of constant contact [with the master’s family] the house servants were much more likely to be model slaves. He was raised to believe that being a house servant was a great honor.”

“My pillow was a stick of wood. The bedding was a coarse blanket…” Facts Quote Picture Family After dark: cook, clean, tend the fire 3 ½ pounds of bacon and 8 quarts of corn a week to eat Log cabins with no windows or floor “My pillow was a stick of wood. The bedding was a coarse blanket…” Children “The only thing I’ members ‘bout all that am there am lots of crying when they tooks me ‘way from my mammy.”

“My pillow was a stick of wood. The bedding was a coarse blanket…” Facts Quote Picture Family After dark: cook, clean, tend the fire 3 ½ pounds of bacon and 8 quarts of corn a week to eat Log cabins with no windows or floor “My pillow was a stick of wood. The bedding was a coarse blanket…” Children Forced to have children, even 12 and 13 year olds Children were property of the master and could be sold away “The only thing I’ members ‘bout all that am there am lots of crying when they tooks me ‘way from my mammy.”

Facts Quote Picture Religion At first Christianity was forced on them, then it became a source of hope and escape from slavery. This be the way it go: Be nice to massa and missus; don’t be mean; be obedient and work hard. That was all the Sunday school lesson they taught us.” Resistance The slaves who labored in the fields destroyed tools and crops, set fires, and sometimes tried to poison the master. The pretended to by sick, blind, or insane and often pretended to be stupid or clumsy to avoid work.

Facts Quote Picture Religion At first Christianity was forced on them, then it became a source of hope and escape from slavery. This be the way it go: Be nice to massa and missus; don’t be mean; be obedient and work hard. That was all the Sunday school lesson they taught us.” Resistance Use codes in music, sabotage, refuse to work Disrupt the plantation Run away and start rebellions. The slaves who labored in the fields destroyed tools and crops, set fires, and sometimes tried to poison the master. The pretended to by sick, blind, or insane and often pretended to be stupid or clumsy to avoid work.