Slavery: The “Peculiar Institution”

Elise Rogers & Emily Shem

VocabularyPidgin- slave-developed language that mostly drew from English, but also took from African dialects; allowed for better communication among slaves

Mulattoes- mixed children often born as a product of sexual assault or abuse between white masters and virtually powerless black female servants

Manumit- another term for freeing slaves or emancipating them from plantations

Sambo- slaves that adapted and abided by white expectations of acting, often seen as shuffling, grinning, head-scratching and differential

Head-Drivers- supervisors often hired to oversee slave populations on larger plantations- paid often based on amount of labor/work generated in a day from slaves

“Peculiar Institution”- term whites used to describe American slavery, saw it not as odd but as distinctive and special, which in a sense it was when compared to other slavery institutions in the Caribbean and South America

Task System- system of assigning slave labor, most common in rice culture, where slaves were assigned one task in the morning and allowed to have free time for the rest of the day

Gang System- more common system of assigning slave labor, common on cotton, sugar, and tobacco plantations, where slaves were divided into groups and directed by a Head Driver and compelled to work what the overseer saw as a fit workday

Varieties of SlaveryLegal basis:

● Slaves’ rights and slave trade was closely regulated by law○ No property ownership, unsupervised congregations (sometimes church allowed

as an exception), could not leave property, carry weapons/guns, severe punishment for harming whites

○ Some wouldn’t allow literacy, court testifying against whites, legally recognized marriage/divorce

○ Legally, if you had and traceable African lineage you were deemed black and a slave - very difficult to disprove

Reality of Slavery:

● Laws were not uniformly enforced, most slaveowners punished slaves themselves instead of courts - conditions widely varied on plantations

● Most farmers had small farms, but most slaves were on large plantations

Legal Basis for Slavery (cont.)

There were three distinct arguments for why slavery is legally correct (and constitutional)

1. Slavery has been a prominent factor in society since the Greeks2. Slavery is mentioned in the Bible

a. a prominent institution in society3. Not “inherently” unconstitutional

a. Servitude for punishmentb. Racism

4. Life, Liberty, and Propertya. Slaves were inherently property (cannot be infringed upon)

● Two main systems of organizing slave labor used known as ‘Task’ and ‘Gang’ systems○ Task, more common in rice culture, slaves were assigned single

task/chore and were free for the remaining day once complete○ Gang, more common on sugar, cotton, and tobacco plantations, slaves

were divided into working groups and assigned work for whatever amount of time the Head Driver of foremen determined a ‘fit work day’

Task and Gain Systems

● Slave population generally less healthy than white, early death more common● Black families usually larger, but less children survived-- those who did

married/bore children early, slave owners often protected children from gruelling work, hired outside work (Irish) for especially dangerous or unhealthy work

● Hired Irish and other temporary workers b/c less valuable than slaves dying, but sometimes masters would kill slaves out of anger or punishment

● American conditions comparatively better than factory labor or Caribbean sugar plantations

● Only country to have naturally growing slave population, considered an ‘investment’ because of the ban of importation in 1808

High Slave Mortality Rates

● Easier physical labor than fieldhands, would often grow very close to master family

● Larger farms had separate staff (nurses, housemaids, etc.) smaller farms would double as fieldhands

● Would often resent isolation from other slaves, were more commonly/cruelly punished because of proximity to white owners

Sexual Abuse;

● Female servants coerced, raped, sometimes impregnated (children not recognized by master) and often harassed by female housewives as well

● Wives would beat and torment servants in place of their husbands for pent up rage

House Slaves

Slavery in the CitiesSlavery was more isolated and controlled in the south, which prevented slaves in large cities, but in northern urban environments the line was more blurred, slaves unsupervised performing individual tasks

Autonomy of Urban Slaves:

● Slaves did common labor because farm work dominated by white laborers○ Men: mining, lumbering, docks, construction, wagon driving, unskilled labor○ Women/Children: Textile mills

● Segregation increased in cities to prevent uprising, male slaves sold out to rural areas

● Mixed children born due to unequal ratio of white men and women

● Literary debate over the nature of slavery before, during, and after civil war● Opposed side argued slavery was brutal and dehumanizing, Supporting side

argued benevolence, paternalistic nature, and contentment of slaves● Literary debate over nature began and continued throughout following centuries

○ 1918- Ulrich B. Phillip’s American Negro Society -first examination, portrayed slaves as submissive and childlike. Authoritative work for 30 years

○ 1941- Melville J. Herskovits challenged view, published list of revolts○ Other works include: The Peculiar Institution (1956) Kenneth Stampp, The

Black Family in Slavery and Freedom (1976) Herbert Gutman, Roll, Jordan, Roll (1974), Time on the Cross, Within the Plantation Household, Soul by Soul

The Character of Slavery

Free African AmericansTightened Restriction on Free Blacks:

● Usually urban slaves freed, would sometimes earn money and purchase family’s freedom

○ Occasionally gained wealth and slaves of their own○ New Orleans, Natchez, Charleston economic stable and unbothered free black communities,

most lived in poverty, prevented from certain work/customs by law, free but still had restrictions with expectations of taxes home and supporting themselves

○ Elizabeth Keckley became a seamstress and personal companion to Mary Todd Lincoln

● Before civil war roughly 250,000 free black americans, mostly in Virginia and Maryland

● Sometimes masters freed due to moral change or death○ John Randolph's death freed 400

● Tightened laws after Nat Turner’s revolt, making it difficult to “manumit” slaves

The Slave TradeSlave Markets:

● Transferred slaves interstate in the South, short distances travelled by foot, long distance by steamboat

● Central markets in Natchez, New Orleans, Charleston, Mobile, markets often fluctuated

● Dehumanized families, separated families, contempted traders to ease conscience

The Foreign Slave Trade:

● Smuggling continued after ban in 1808 until the 1850s○ Reopening of trade discussed by William L. Yancey, government never passed repeal law

Slave Resistance● 1839- Amistad ship overtaken by 53 Caribbean slaves, intended to sail to

Africa but ended up captured by U.S. revenue service ship○ Van Buren argued sending back, John Quincy Adams argued freeing -

Were freed and returned to Africa in 1841● 1841- revolt on on ship going from Virginia to New Orleans, took to British

Bahamas (slavery illegal) and were freed ● Argument over contentment- majority weren’t content with enslavement

Prosser and Turner Rebellions:

● Two main resistant responses were adaptation and resistance● “Sambo” were slaves that behaved in a facade like white owners expected,

others outwardly rebelled (not as common) or small acts of defiance

● 1800- Gabriel Prosser and 1,000+ followers planned revolt, stopped and many executed by Virginia militia

● 1822- Denmark Vesey and 9,000 planned revolt, also leaked and suppressed● 1831- Nat Turner + followers killed over 60 white men in Southampton

County, Virginia, overpowered by troops and executed but was the only major successful rebellion

Slave Resistance:

● Most slaves ran away- some successfully multiple times○ Many were unsuccessful b/c of ignorance of geography, distance, or were caught by “slave

patrols” which would use bloodhounds to scent

● Overall most common resistance was small defiance○ Laziness, destruction of tools, purposely slow working or improper completion of tasks○ Some stole, subtly built resistive tasks into behavior to avoid severe punishment

● Others adapted, recognizing no other option, and developed own culture/racial pride

● Created a unique culture with music prominently featured despite lack of time

● Sang alone, in groups, while working, during chores, and at social gatherings/religious services

○ Rarely written, derived from African and Caribbean music/traditions, seeming spontaneous to white listeners with a pulsing rhythm and emotional nature

○ Danced differently than white formalities, often used to accompany storytelling○ Would sing regardless of instrument, would sometimes make/be given instruments

● Most common was religious music, mixing black faith, hope for freedom, and bitterness towards masters

● Used to escape, usually allowed by masters either b/c understood prevention of rebellion or simply enjoyed listening

● Ultimately shaped slaves lives and laid the foundations for jazz, gospel, blues, rap, and rock music genres in the future

Slave Music

Language and Music:Pidgin:

● First generations of imported slaves struggled to communicate, developed language drawing from English and African dialects

● Grew more complex through generations but still maintained some original features

● Pidgin was an important way for slaves to communicate because many slaves were not literate in English

Importance of Slave Spirituals:

● Music almost as important as language-- used to pass time working in fields● Emotional/political music in private religious services rooted spiritual

traditions which developed in the 19th century

African American ReligionWhites didn’t want a separate religion to develop, so either coerced or

voluntary conversion to Christianity was common-- expecting worship to be under white supervision. Slaves were often the same denomination as masters (Baptist and Methodist most common) Slaves still incorporated African spirituality and voodoo traditions and slave preachers arose.

Slave Religion:

● More emotionally invested than white religion○ Involved African customs, chattering, exclamations, joyful affirmation, emphasis on

freedom and liberation

● Prayer, songs, and sermons mentioned freedom and Promised Land delivered by the Lord- Whites interpreted as afterlife but slaves interpreted as in the physical world

● Rebels relied on Christian images, faith, and injunctions to encourage followers

○ Gabriel Prosser, Denmark Vesey, Nat Turner (who was actually a slave preacher)

● Some were allowed to hold unsupervised congregations in the South, but in the countryside slaves attended the same church as masters, but with a segregated congregation

● Some slaves held secret, independent services at night, either allowed by master or without their knowledge entirely

The Slave Family

● Nuclear families still common structure, regardless of restrictive laws and lack of legal marriage for slaves

Slave Marriages:

● Black women tended to bear children earlier, commonly 14-15 years old○ Premarital pregnancy not culturally condemned, couples commonly

married after children were born● Most marriages between plantations and would sometimes secretly meet,

bonds were just as strong as white families regardless of separation

Importance of Kinship Networks:

● Most marriages and families split due to slave trade and circumstance○ ⅓ of families broken in some means, most slaves saw 10+ relatives sold in lifetime○ Created extensive family networks aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins, to compensate for

breakup, those separated were usually “adopted” by other families on plantations

● Children from abusive relationships were not recognized by masters, treated as slaves

Paternal Nature of Slavery:

● Formed close relationships with masters due to dependency on food, housing, clothing, and provided sense of security

● Relationship could be harsh or nice, depending on circumstances● Paternal relationship would reduce resistance and allow even more power

to be held by white slave owners

Slavery: "The Peculiar Institution"