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American Studies 100
Wednesday, February 10th ,
1999
Announcements: No recitation next week
Review in class on Monday
Mid-term next Wednesday
Lecture notes:
Institution of Slavery in
the United States
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1609 - Homogeneous society at first, then diogeneous/heterogeneous
-
1619 - First importation of "free labor", not legal but not illegal
-
1700 - 6,000 slaves - 1/12 of the population
-
1763 - 170,000 slaves - 1/2 of the population
No Paradigm
-
In first 30 years of Slavery, did not seem as slavery
as we know it to be
- Indentured servants and slaves
sharing many things
~>Work
~> Bed, living space
~> Class of unfreed labor
~> Similar social space
~> Ran away together
~> Treated the same (ex: couldn't leave plantation without pass)
- Language barrier ~ uncivilized
vs. civilized
- Easier to see Africans
as the "Others"
~> visibility factor - different color
~> separation of cultures
~> language use
~> racism
- Prior history of enslavement
of Africans
- Capture and trade easier
- Class warfare
- Law
- Why not Native Americans???
~> Logistical difficulties in enslaving Native Americans in large numbers
~> Small population - devastated by disease
~> Insignificant military force
~> Ability to move and join other tribes
- 1676
- Bacon raised a huge army
from the lower class
- went to war against the
Susquehanna
- Upper class saw the army
as a threat
- Governor charged Bacon
with leading a rebellion
- Bacon marched through
the streets of Jamestown with 500 of his men and burnt it to the ground
- Bacon died and things
fell apart
- Bacon's men were promised
land if they turned in their weapons peacefully ~> in reality they were
returned to their owners and people they worked for
-
Plantation Slavery was not the same experience at every time and at every
place
Size
-
Great majority of slaves were farm workers
-
Great majority of slaves had to work out their African identity under slavery
-
Small farm work was better than large plantation slavery
-
Large Plantation
- Severest punishment
- Slave driver
- Male slaves likely would
never marry
- Army lifestyle
Nature of Master
-
Sadism
-
Ex: William Byrd had a reputation of a kind slave owner, but reading
his private journal is surprising
- If this is kind, then what
were the rest like?
-
Slaves were completely dependent on master and the master's education
- food
- shelter
- protection
Work
-
Working closer to house was better than field work it seemed
- better food and clothing
- more likely to be beaten
because closer to masters
- away from community of
other Africans
- more house slaves ran
away than field workers
-
Killed labor treated better than unskilled
- rent out skilled labor
-
Plantations near cities were better for slaves than isolated plantations
- more sadism in isolated areas
-
More protection of slaves in the 1800's
Work System
-
Ratio of enslaved to whites
-
Gang/Time: Work in groups for certain amount of time (sun up to sun
down) large number of slaves and supervisors
-
Task/Piece: Certain task to finish by the end of the day, less supervisors,
more dangerous areas ~ more likely for disease and injury
Gender
-
Slaves were told who they could converse with
-
Slaves were told who they could have relations with
Readings
-
"The Secret Diary" - William Byrd II
- Written in code
- Byrd was a wealthy, educated,
prominent man in society
- His diary depicted that
he lived the life of leisure
- 43,000 acres and 220 slaves
-
"On Manners" - Thomas Jefferson
- Seemed to be anti-slavery,
however had plantation
- Writing about the American
Character
- Questioning how slavery
was affecting american's character
- There could be a revolt
and a reversal of roles (slaves take over)
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