Verified Document

Slavery: Typical Conditions On Plantations Term Paper

Overseers used cowhide whips and wooden clubs to enforce their rules, some more cruelly and arbitrarily than others. Whereas most did whip their slaves, some did so only for perceived necessity and without deriving pleasure or satisfaction from it; others did so with extreme and deliberately wanton cruelty, utterly without reason or "justification" even in the context of the time. Cruelty manifested itself I many other ways on plantations, such as by the forced overfeeding of any slave who was overheard to complain of being hungry for lack of sufficient food. One fairly typical practice consisted of force feeding molasses or other heavy liquid foods to induce discomfort and vomiting in response to complaints of hunger, intended to convince the slave that being perpetually hungry was no worse than its alternative. On the other hand, amongst themselves, plantation owners were subject to shame for underfeeding their slaves;...

Parts of this document are hidden

View Full Document
svg-one

Up until emancipation, reading was cardinal sin amongst slaves, and punishable by death, because it was viewed as threatening the very institution itself. As a general rule, plantation slaves endured much hasher lives than "city slaves' (Douglass, p.21). Either way, American slavery remains a haunting memory of the cruelty of which even modern "civilized" men are capable.
References

Douglass, F (1995) Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. New York: Dover

Sources used in this document:
References

Douglass, F (1995) Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. New York: Dover
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

African Women Slavery What Was Life Like
Words: 1602 Length: 5 Document Type: Thesis

African Women Slavery What was life like for African female slaves? When most people hear the word slavery they will often associate it with the harsh living conditions and the demoralizing atmosphere they were going through. While this is true, the reality is that many slaves endured even more suffering. For women, this became worse in comparison with men. Part of the reason for this, is because they were considered to be

History Slavery North Atlantic British Colonies United
Words: 3188 Length: 10 Document Type: Essay

history slavery North Atlantic British colonies United States Observations Regarding Slavery One of the primary methods of resistance for people of African descent who existed in servitude in the North Atlantic British colonies and in the United States was rebellion. Although far from occurring frequently, armed, violent revolt from chattel slaves helped to shape the history of their descendants in these locations. One of the most notorious of these uprisings was

Representations of Women the Concept of Slavery
Words: 2615 Length: 6 Document Type: Essay

Representations of Women The concept of slavery in America has engendered a great deal of scholarship. During the four decades following reconstruction, despite the hopes of the liberals in the North, the position of the Negro in America declined. After President Lincoln's assassination and the resulting malaise and economic awakening of war costs, much of the political and social control in the South was returned to the white supremacists. Blacks were

History of the American South
Words: 1726 Length: 6 Document Type: Term Paper

However, they "were too few in number to provide adequate protection and were not always themselves fully committed to ensuring justice for freed blacks" (Cary Royce 67). The American public wanted reform to happen but few people were actually willing to risk their position in society by supporting black people. As a consequence, former slaves were provided with little support and were practically forced to maintain many of their

Women and the Homefront in Western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee...
Words: 11672 Length: 31 Document Type: Term Paper

Women and the Home Front in Western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee during the Civil War This paper examines the living conditions and attitudes that shaped the lives of the women in western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee during and after the American Civil War. The thesis statement should deal with the breakdown of long standing ties between the people of the mountains as they chose to fight for the

Nat Turner's Rebellion It Is
Words: 1078 Length: 3 Document Type: Research Paper

Much is made of his religious nature, and the fact is that he was raised a Methodist. Methodists were strongly in favor of abolition in most of the United States, and, though that message was watered down in the South, the fact is that the Turner was being taught the same religious doctrines that led white Methodists in the north to conclude it was not Christian to keep people

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now