By Latasha Davis
By 1830 slavery was primarily located in the South, where it existed in many different forms. African Americans were enslaved on small farms, large plantations, in cities and towns, inside homes, out in the fields, and in industry and transportation. In the lower South the majority of slaves lived and worked on cotton plantations. Most of these plantations had fifty or fewer slaves, although the largest plantations have several hundred. Cotton was by far the leading cash crop, but slaves also raised rice, corn, sugarcane, and tobacco. Many plantations raised several different kinds of crops.
Besides planting and harvesting, there were numerous other types of labor required on plantations and farms. Enslaved people had to clear new land, dig ditches, cut and haul wood, slaughter livestock, and make repairs to buildings and tools. In many instances, they worked as mechanics, blacksmiths, drivers, carpenters, and in other skilled trades. Black women carried the additional burden of caring for their families by cooking and taking care of the children, as well as spinning, weaving, and sewing.
The cotton gin was a machine that could clean cotton quickly. Cotton growers began making a lot of money once they started using machines like the cotton gin. People bought more land to plant cotton. They also bought more slaves. Between 1820 and 1830, cotton production in the South doubled.
Besides planting and harvesting, there were numerous other types of labor required on plantations and farms. Enslaved people had to clear new land, dig ditches, cut and haul wood, slaughter livestock, and make repairs to buildings and tools. In many instances, they worked as mechanics, blacksmiths, drivers, carpenters, and in other skilled trades. Black women carried the additional burden of caring for their families by cooking and taking care of the children, as well as spinning, weaving, and sewing.
The cotton gin was a machine that could clean cotton quickly. Cotton growers began making a lot of money once they started using machines like the cotton gin. People bought more land to plant cotton. They also bought more slaves. Between 1820 and 1830, cotton production in the South doubled.
By the 1850s, the North and South had developed into very different economies. The North had many small farms as well as large industrial and urban areas. The South was overwhelmingly agricultural, and by 1860, cotton made up two-thirds of the total exports of the United States.
Resources:
Resources:
Africans in America. People & Events, Conditions of antebellum slavery http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p2956.html, 1830 – 1860
2005, Ballard & Tighe, Publishers, a division of Educational IDEAS, Inc. From Explore America. http://www.ballard-tighe.com/eaweb/ExploreMore/EMB3Ch01.pdf
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