News-Journal from Mansfield, Ohio • 7

or of Slavery, A and Time on the Cross, is American of For or Our continues Black with History a look Month at King series Cotton. TUESDAY Lifestyle Health Calendar 10 Dear Abby 11 -LIFEAhead- NEWS JOURNAL Monday, February 18, 2008 PAGE 7A Punishment Slaves were kept in a constant state of fear of impending punishment from owners. Here's a look at some of those forms of punishment: Whippings Whipping post Probably the most common form of punishment, the whip could literally tear the flesh away. Slaves could receive up to15 to 20 lashes for minor infraction like not showing up for work on time. A major infraction could mean hundreds of lashes.

Stocks Standing stocks: Used to restrict movement. Hands go here. Feet go here. Bed stocks: Commonly used as a punishment for drunkenness. Lynching Executions were usually reserved for the most serious infraction; but, whenever warranted, lynching was a favorite method.

It left the body on display as a warning to other slaves. Other forms Other forms of punishment included branding, castration and selling. Hierarchy Division of labor Here's the hierarchy that often developed on larger plantations: Overseer: Managed the overall operations of the plantation. Skilled and domestic laborers: Including maids, butlers, cooks, nannies, blacksmiths and carpenters. Drivers: Foremen of the field hands.

Feild hands: Worked in gangs to do field work. Classism Owners fostered intra-racial discrimination by giving preference to light-skinned blacks for skilled and domestic labor. For example, in New Orleans: Light-skinned male slaves were 20.6% of the domestic work Light Dark 20.6% 79.4% though they were only 10.290 of all male slaves. Dark Light, 89.8% Coming next I Tuesday: The economics of slavery, and how the sale of slaves and slave labor helped make the United States one of the most powerful countries. Culture Here is a look at the parts of the slave culture in America: The Black Family On American exhaustion, Here's Quarters Here's a look at the cramped structures used to house up to 12 slaves: Chimney Usually made of brick or stone.

I Slave diets were very limited. Slave maintainence manuals often recommended that they only receive "one pound of salt pork and four pecks of corn" for a week's ration. Some slaves supplemented their diets by fishing, hunting and raising makeshift gardens. Almost all foods were deep-fried in lard (pork fat). Lay of the land Storage Here's a look at structures that might appear on a typical plantation: Field: Planted with the dominant crop.

Part edible produce for the owner, slaves and livestock. "The Big The residence of the owner, this building dominated the plantation landscape in most cases. Service buildings AMERICA plantations, threatened, beaten a look at that by Charles M. IN Kettle: Used for cooking. Slave quarters: Often arranged in a row, these quarters could be located as close to or far from the big house as the owner saw fit.

Stables Fireplace Used for heat and cooking. Tables and chairs were somewhat standard. Livestock pens The assembly line Field labor on larger plantations Planting Drillers: Made holes a prescribed distance apart. During the planting season, slaves were Droppers: Seeded holes. organized into gangs of five workers: Rakers: Covered holes.

Plowman: Broke ground into ridges. Harrowers: Broke up lumps. Plow (1619-1863) slaves were and sold harsh life: Seating: Boxes and stools provided additional seating. Trunk: Used to store clothes and valuables, If any. achieved a level worked to like cattle.

Roof: Covered wood shingles, Quilting (African tradition): Quilts were made from scraps. Shacks were usually frame or log cabin (occasionally brick and mortar) and almost always made of inferior stock. In the winter, some slaves had to stuff the holes and cracks with rags to keep out the harsh air. Style Windows Only for the lucky. Others simply had holes in the wall to let the light and air in.

Beds Slave shacks were small and could rarely hold more than one bed. It was not uncommon for entire families to share a single bed. Those who couldn't fit, might sleep on the floor. Foundation In damp, humid area, shacks were often raised off the ground prevent the wood from rotting prematurely and to allow cool to flow underneath. Some shacks were built directly on the ground with dirt floors.

The slumlike slave quarters were the perfect environment to pass diseases. Some planters moved slave quarters periodically. Diseases Typical day Slaves usually worked from dawn until dusk, with two short breaks, and during a full moon the work could last well into the night. At the end of the day, they went home to do their own chores. of specialization: Here's a look at that system.

Harvest Havesting did not allow for the same degree of specialization. Instead, slaves were assigned a plot of land to pick each day. Bags could reach up to 100 pounds before they were emptied. Note: Each gang often had a driver whose job was to ensure the pace and quality of the gang. Far from the happy, docile stereotype, slaves yearned for the freedom they had known in Africa, Fighting back which others whites plotted enjoyed elaborate in schemes America.

to Therefore, revolt. Here's some a slaves look at escaped some of to those free states uprisings: or Canada, but New York Louisiana (1811): Virginia (1816): Maryland (1849): (1712): Slave Some 100 slaves are George Boxley leads Harriet Tubman, soon to revolt claims the killed or executed in failed slave rebellion. be conductor of the lives of nine failed uprising. "Underground Railroad," whites and Virginia (1831): Nat escapes. results in the Louisiana (1795): 50- Turner leads slave Virginia (1859): execution of 21 blacks are killed and rebellion, killing 60 John Brown Abolitionist blacks.

executed with the whites. He is later his band and attack suppression of more hanged. Harpers Ferry. Brown South Carolina slave uprisings. later hanged.

New York (1838): (1739): Slave Slave ship Amistad revolt kills 51 Louisiana (1791): whites and docks after slaves South Carolina (1861): many Black revolt revolt and take control. War begins with more slaves. Civil suppressed. Twenty- of Fort Sumter. attack three slaves hanged.

1700 1750 1800 1850 1900 Sources: The Museum the Confederacy, Richmond, Rural Life Museum, Baton Rouge. Always Forever wedding chapel, Species Property, This Without Contract: The Fall of American The Negro reference Work on the African American, Brother Brother and Academic Encyclopedia Consent Rise and Almanac; Against Slavery did not destroy the Black family, The Black family persevered in spite of it. Furthermore, though many families were sold apart, it was in the master's interest to keep slave families together because they were less apt to run away. Here is a look at the different types of slave households in the United States in the 1850s. Blow Diet with One-parent families: Mainly headed by the mother.

Nonfamily households Nuclear Family: Mainly twoparent families, but also some childless couples. The perception that slave families were matriarchal in nature and that black men existed for little more than to sire children in this union is false. To the contrary, the black man was a strong, viable partner, Marriage Though marriage between slaves was not recognized by law, matrimony was a major part of the slave culture. These unions were often tolerated, if not encouraged, by owners. The "Jumping of the Broom" was a favorite marriage ceremony.

Handle: Represents God. Straws: Represent friends and family. Jumping: Symbolizes the crossing over into a new life. to breezes other Entertainment In the evening, slaves entertained themselves with music, dancing and religious services. Banjo: Brought to America from West Africa during the slave trade, it was a favorite musical Instrument of the slave.

It combined the tambourine with the guitar. Five strings. in most cases. Cultivation Slaves were reorganized into two large groups the hoe gang and the plow gang. Hoe gang: Chopped out excessive sprouts and weeds between plants.

Plow gang: Followed behind, stirring the soil near the rows and tossing It back on the plants. Sex life Even those owners sometimes took their liberties with young slave girls and breeding was often a fact of life, slave mothers did a good job of making sure that their daughters were not promiscuous. This is evident in the fact that the average age of first birth is 22.5. First births by age 015 15- 20- 25- 30- 35 24 29 further reading Check your local library for the following books: Without Consent or Contract: The Rise and Fall of American Slavery, by Robert W. Fogel I Time on the Cross, by Fogel Engerman This Species of Property, by Leslie Howard Owens over.