Chapter 20African Americans at Mid-Century

C20.2 North and South, Slave and Free

slaves were property, no rights

most slaves did farm work city slaves in factories, mills,

workshops free blacks in South were

controlled - no travel, no guns - denied most jobs free blacks in North faced

discrimination, segregation built own churches, schools,

businesses

C20.3 The Economics of Slavery cotton gin made cotton

profitable cotton made South 4th

richest place in world wanted slaves so more

profit demand and price of

slaves rose slaveholders unwilling to

end the system non-slaveholders

supported it; dreamed of getting rich, too

C20.4 Working Conditions of Slaves small farms: slaves &

owners work together plantations: overseer

supervise slaves field hands worked dawn

to dark chores after dark other slaves:

seamstresses, carpenters, blacksmiths, cooks, servants

from age 6 to death

C20.5 Living Conditions of Slaves crowded, one room cabins dirt floors little or no furniture most had enough food - kept gardens, hunted clothes were of course

linen (2 outfits per year) one pair of shoes per year received some medical

care

C20.6 Controlling Slaves some punished harshly - beat, whipped, branded others made slaves feel

dependent like children slavebreakers used

violence, fear, overwork to make slaves obey

most owners tried to avoid beatings

C20.7 Resistance to Slavery damage tools work sloppily steal food from master pretend to be dumb, ill, insane poison master set master’s house on fire refuse to work fight back run away rebellion (Denmark Vesey, Nat

Turner)

C20.8 Slave Families and Communities

legally no slave families slaves couldn’t marry slaves made families

anyway children belonged to

owners families often sold apart parents taught children

survival lessons taught respect for elders

C20.9 Leisure Time Activities slaves had free time Sat.

night and Sunday corn-husking parties pea-shelling parties quilting bees danced made music out of almost

anything Sunday was for religion &

recreation activities helped them

forget slavery

C20.10 Slave Churches white ministers told

slaves to obey masters slaves created “invisible

churches” met in secret preached about Moses

setting people free sang spirituals helped them endure

their suffering

C20.11 African American Culture

slaves mixed African traditions with American ideas

Examples: quilts songs dances legends folktales