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by Anonymous on May 3rd, 2008

Anonymous

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How did slavery life vary by gender? By age? What difficulties did these differences present for the slave family?

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  • by Mastodon on May 3rd, 2008

    Mastodon

    Male slaves were sent to work in the fields, while female slaves often worked in the household and often used as comfort women. Initially the male to female ratio was very high due the need for field slaves over house slaves. Typically male slaves would start working round age 14, but female slaves could start as early as 9-y-o. Slaves who were no longer fit or old to work the fields were often killed off (the same was done to horses and dogs. Black babies were often put at the bottom of mattresses to act as foot warmers in the winter.

    Slavery obviously split up families, since the plantation owners bought them individually, and Africans were kidnapped from their families. When the slave trade ended there was a bit more stability in family life as the slave masters encouraged the slaves to have children (and in some instances marry) since this was the only way to get new slaves. Previously, it was more economical to buy slaves of working age from traders. Still, families were slit apart as individuals were sold to other masters/plantations.

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    • You mean the years 1807-1865.

      John

      by John on July 24th, 2011

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