Slavery the Peculiar Institution

Slavery the System

The Slave Experience

Resistance

The Growth of Slavery

Cotton gin makes cotton production profitable. New territory is being opened for slavery.Slavery is fundamental to the growth of cotton.Owning slaves seen as way to economic prosperity.

Eli Whitney and Slavery

Inventor of the cotton gin

It will make cotton production efficiently and cost effective which will drive the demand for slaves

Whitney will also introduce a rifle with interchangeable parts which will aid in producing weapons quickly for the American Civil War

Anglo Justifications for Slavery

RacialBlacks are seen as “brutes” and should be controlled

ReligiousBible scripture provides examples of slavery

ScientificBlacks are inferior to whites

PaternalismBlacks are being taken care of

The Plantation System

Plantations were diverse economically and self sufficient.

Slaves were organized into specialized gangs that performed specific duties.

Productivity was tied to maintaining discipline.

Field SlavesMajority were field slaves and worked dawn to dusk. Some worked under the task system which required slaves to complete a specific job once done they were free to manage own affairs.

Did skilled work like carpentry and ironsmithing and unskilled work like tending the crops.

The women also had to care of their families by cooking, tending house and taking care of the children too!

Masters hired out slaves to perform other duties and keep the slave’s wages.

Slaves in the fields

House Slaves

Household slaves cooked, cleaned, and nursed the master's children.

Are constantly watched by their masters and mistresses. Had far less privacy than those who worked the fields.

House slaves faced beatings, verbal abuse and sexual assault.

House Slaves