Slavery was popular in the 1800s during the Industrial Revolution because cotton was being manufactured differently. At this era, slaves were treated as property and not real humans. They either opposed the orders of their master, rebelled, escaped, took all the labor, pain, and whippings. The south was dependent on the slaves for their income. The only reason the south was making so much money was because of the slaves.
During these tough times, slaves formed families and groups of friends. African Americans instituted a network of relatives and friends, who made up their extended family. If a father or mother were traded away, an aunt, uncle, or close friend could raise the children left behind (chapter 9 page 433). So, if a slave's father was sold, killed, or very sick a close member of the family would step up and take care of their children. If slaves got married, at any time, a husband or wife could be sold to a different owner
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They did not have various legal rights, so they made slave codes for rebellions. Nat Turner, a slave, taught a rebellion to fight back at slave owners. Many were inspired and led rebellions as well but one former slave, Denmark Vesey, tried to rebel but in 1812 he failed when some of his followers betrayed him (chapter 9 page 435). If slaves were not rebelling they were resisting their master's requests by pretending to be ill, some of then took more physical forms like burning plantations, breaking tools, and some established boundaries white people could hopefully respect (chapter 9 page 437). When some did not fight back they escaped or at least tried to escape. The most famous people who escaped were Harriet Tubman and Fredrick Douglass. Harriet Tubman used The Underground Railroad—a network of “safe houses” owned by free blacks and whites who opposed slavery—offered assistance to run- away slaves (Chapter 9 page