Slavery In America In The 1800's

Slavery In America: 1800’s
Slavery has been a part of American history as since America was first discovered. The first slaves were from Europe, they came as indentured servants meaning they only had to work until they could pay off their dept. The first African slaves were mostly captured and brought to America against their will, but they were also considered indentured servents. full blown slavery was a gradual change. The law changed in 1705 stating that it slaves were defined as people imported from other nations that were not Christian or Native America (Native Americans were considered white men and woman who were born in America). By the 1800’s slavery was in full force. although many of the northern states had out lawed slavery the

“There were no beds given the slaves, unless one coarse blanket be considered such, and none but the men and women had these...They find less difficulty from the want of beds, than from the want of time to sleep…very many of their sleeping hours are consumed in preparing for the field the coming day; and when this is done, old and young, male and female, married and single, drop down side by side, on one common bed,--the cold, damp floor,--each covering himself or herself with their miserable blankets; and here they sleep till they are summoned to the field by the driver 's horn." Frederick Douglass, from The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, 1845. Men would work in the fields and gardens often companied by overseers on horseback with whips monitoring the slaves and would threaten stragglers with beatings. Skilled slaves like blacksmith or carpenters were often used for their skills for the gain of the master. Female slaves were often used in the household to do work such as cooking cleaning, servants and child care. The females were often raped by the men of the house, whipped and in some cases