Life On the Plantation Lesson starter: Out of the following, which do you think would be the worst time for the Africans who were brought into slavery; Slave factories on the African Coast? The Middle Passage? Being sold at auction? Back up your answer with evidence.

I can… We are learning to… Describe life for slaves on the plantations Explain why resistance was so difficult in a N5 question

Background Once slaves were bought at auction, they became the property of their masters They carried out backbreaking work Slaves usually worked on large plots of land picking/ cultivating coffee, tobacco or sugar The places where they worked were known as plantations

Task: Getting our Knowledge points Divide a double page into four sections with the following headings; 1. Working conditions on plantations 2. Active Resistance 3. Passive Resistance 4. Punishments

As we move through the information, decide where it fits best What you also could do is a quick picture or symbol that helps you remember a point of information Eg. The work was often done in blistering heat Or

Information 1 Slave owners used ‘overseers’ to watch over slaves and increase productivity – they were the most hated person (usually a fellow African) on a plantation as they whipped and beat slaves regularly Slaves worked 18 hour days, and up to 48 hours during harvests as sugar spoiled quickly There were strict laws or ‘codes’ dictating what slaves could and couldn’t do Life expectancy on plantations was about 7-9 years; reaching 27 was considered lucky

Information 2 Being a ‘house slave’ was considered a privileged job Slaves with skills eg. Carpenters had slightly better working conditions – shorter hours, more food etc Many slaves deliberately worked slowly so their masters made less money Slaves played up to stereotypes of Africans being stupid to do less work Slaves were usually chained together while they were working to reduce possibility of revolt/ running away

Information 3 Slaves usually had Sundays off as most plantation owners were religious Most slaves spent time with family or attended church; a few drank and gambled Some slaves tried to poison their masters or physically fight back Very few slaves ran away as Caribbean islands were small and covered in jungle so there was nowhere to go Many slaves had no education and were brainwashed into accepting life on the plantation

Information 4 There were around 20 slaves for every master; BUT masters were well armed with guns as they were terrified of revolts Any slaves who successfully revolted were always caught and put to death to teach others a lesson There were few slaves who were willing to lead a rebellion so no one to lead resistance If a slave stepped out of line or did not follow rules, they could be sold & separated from their families

Roots clip https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrGOUsAR7Cw

Task two : Use your knowledge Explain the reasons why resistance was difficult for slaves on plantations. 6 marks (from N5 specimen paper) Resistance was difficult on the plantations because… and this meant…

Answers Slaves were controlled by strict laws/ codes Slave risings lacked effective leadership Slave uprisings were quickly put down by better armed whites Plantation owners used ‘overseers’ to supervise, control and beat slaves Slaves were scared they might be sold off & separated from families Punishments were so severe (death) they discouraged rebellion Caribbean islands were small/ there was nowhere to run to Slaves with no education were brainwashed into accepting slavery

On the Plantation: Improve your knowledge! Thomas Thistlewood was an English man living in Jamaica during the 18th century He owned around 34 slaves You will read the stories of two of his slaves; take notes and be ready to share the story with the rest of your group

Roles Phibbah and Lincoln’s stories Sawno and Chub’s stories Jimmy & Franke’s stories Bess & Abba’s stories

Life as Thistlewood’s slaves – Key points Disease very common – crab yaws Branded Punishments – whipping, flogging Privileges – money, rum, ticket for a gun, livestock Thistlewood had relationships Different jobs Paired up ‘matched’ – babies Given new names Music was punished Given medical treatment Pregnancies – miscarriage. Infant death was common Women given money/ rum for sex

Thistlewood’s Punishments - Examples Flogging (constant whipping) Pickling (putting vinegar in wounds) Putting slaves in iron bars that hold them up by the ankles (bilboes) Covering a slave in sugar and leaving them outside to the mosquitoes (with hands tied together) Chaining slaves to immovable weights

The Effect of the Slave Trade on the Caribbean Starter; Would the Slave Trade have a positive or negative effect on Caribbean Islands?

How did the slave trade affect the Caribbean Islands? The native people (the Arawaks) were wiped out and replaced with West Africans who worked on the plantations Population change: Africans eventually outnumbered the white population by 20 to 1 The fear surrounding this created a racist legal system which severely punished slaves if they committed ‘offences’ such as playing a drum or going out after dark The focus on sugar production for Europe damaged the Jamaican economy – it relied on sugar 100% and when the price fell it was a disaster for the Island The impact of the British slave trade has left Islands like Jamaica feeling a strong sense of anger and injustice for the harm and poverty caused by Britain The slave trade created deep race divisions in the Caribbean – divisions between white and black communities, taboo of inter-race marriage etc.

Bob Marley - Redemption song Arawak People

Specimen Paper Q

2015 Paper

Case Study: Haiti Initially a Spanish then French colony (Saint Dominique) 100+ sugar plantations established between Haiti was the main destination for French slave ships Average life span of a slave in Haiti was 7 years Easy access to slaves coupled with soaring profits from cash crops created a situation in which the slave population of Haiti vastly outnumbered free colonists. even with inferior numbers, the French were able to establish a system in which the lopsided population didn’t work against them: for a century, they didn’t face a massive slave revolt. However, as time wore on, and as the rich plantation owners and working class colonists fought amongst themselves over their relationship (and privileges) with France, The slaves, who outnumbered the free population more than 10 to 1, began to organize. Eventually, their organization led to the Haitian Revolution

Starter – N5 Question Explain the effects of the Atlantic Slave Trade on the Caribbean. 6 marks The Atlantic slave trade affected the Caribbean by… x6