Regimentation and Rules

By Tiffany Hardman

Slaves had to follow very strict regiments and rules. They were considered “troublesome property.” The slaves were mostly powerless, outnumbered and outsourced with weapons. They were hunted by dogs when they ran away. Slaves were at the mercy of their owners but sought out ways to rebel against the rules. They sabotaged crops, they broke the hoes used for work, and they acted as if they couldn’t understand very simple instructions.

Whippings were the most common form of punishment when slaves broke their masters’ rules. They were often whipped very severely. Slaves would receive anywhere from 15 lashes to 100 lashes from whips. They were whipped until their blood dripped to the ground. They were whipped for various reasons, including running away, not keeping their curfew, family fights in the slave quarters and most commonly for “poor work.” Most slaves worked from sun up to sun down. Many were at the beck and call of their owners at any time.

Whippings usually caused welts, blisters, bruises and scarring. On a few occasions slaves were beaten to death. Whippings were not the only form of punishment; on some occasions slave owners would have dogs viciously attack, slaves were also jailed, and were sometimes even made to dress like women in order to humiliate them.

References

James L. Roark et al., eds., The American Promise A History of the United States 4^th Edition. (Bedford: St. Martin’s Press, 2009), http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/roark4e/player/pages/MainFrame.aspx?mode=OSG&page_id=2&UserType=PS (accessed November 10, 2010).