Historical Significance
A slave plantation was a farm where enslaved Africans, were forced to maintain crops for profit. The system was built on the brutal treatment and dehumanization of enslaved people.
- From the 1500s onward, European powers like Spain, Portugal, Britain, and France established plantations in Americas and the Caribbean.
- The rise of the plantation system led to over 12 million Africans being shipped to America between the 1500s and 1807. This system destroyed areas in West Africa.
- In the United States, by 1860, there were 46,300 plantations, primarily concentrated in the Southern states to grow cotton, rice, and tobacco.
Life and conditions on plantations were brutal and unforgiving
- Field labor: In the United States, most slaves worked from dawn until dusk, often under the watch of a white (and sometimes black) overseer. During the busy season, working days could last up to 18 hours.
- House labor: Slaves also worked in the main house and performed domestic duties. They often faced both physical and emotional violence from their owners and their families. Sexual abuse was common.
- Harsh living conditions: Housing for slaves was typically small, cramped cabins with dirt floors and no furniture. They received poor diets and inadequate medical care. Slave mortality rate meant that grown men would die of natural causes at 21-22 years of age.
- Culture and resistance: In the face of oppression, slaves built their own communities and unique culture. Many found inspiration in religion, some practicing African and Christian religions. Slaves would often revolt, poison food, of their masters, faking illness, and slowdown work on purpose.
