Journey_of_the_African_Slave

Journey of the African Slave A new African-American culture began to develop when the Africans came to America, the culture of the slave. All aspects of life for these imported people immediately once they were deported from their homeland. Slavery was well known in many areas of Africa, including eastern Nigeria, the Gold Coast, and western Angola during the 1600s. About ten million African slaves were kidnapped from these and other areas. The kidnapped were forced to march to the Atlantic Coast, which, at times, was over one hundred miles. Those who were too weak to keep up were murdered. Once to the coast, the slaves were kept in dungeon-like pits until they could be packed on the slave ships. Sometimes they had to spend months chained up in these confinements). The voyage from Africa to the Americas across the Middle Passage was horrid and had to be endured for months at a time. The intense pressure to obtain the greatest profit out of the trade, no matter what cost to the slave, forced traders to treat the slaves inhumanly. Slaves were wedged together on the lower decks of ships like logs. There was almost no room to sit, stand, or lie down. The space given to an adult male was no larger than a grave. The slaves often slept on their sides and their naked bodies were positioned together in a spoon-like fashion. They were allowed on the deck for a few minutes a day for fresh air and exercise. The holds were dark, filthy, slimy, and filled with the stench of human waste. The food quickly spoiled and the water became stagnant. Slaves who felt sick were simply tossed overboard to prevent an epidemic. Once on American soil, slaves were herded to a stockade to be sold. They were thoroughly examined by eager merchants and purchased. During these slave auctions, families were torn apart. Mothers were separated from children and husbands were taken from their wives. The auctions were so unpleasant that white women were rarely found in the area. The black horses, as they were often called, were then taken to their new homes (John W. Blassingame, p. 15). Upon arrival, the slaves had to sign a contract no less than six pages long. The rules and expectations were clearly stated in these documents. If the slave refused to sign the contract, they severely beaten. Most of the slaves could not read, but quickly signed to prevent flogging. The slaves looks, sex, and the season determined what types of work they would do. Men and women that were sent to a plantation would probably work as field hands sowing and harvesting sugarcane, corn, cotton, tobacco, and other crops. Field hands would rise before sunrise, prepare their morning meal, feed the livestock, and then rush to the fields by the time the sun came up. At sunset they would retire from the fields to their homes, or to other chores (John W. Blassingame, p. 155). Children, the elderly, and the attractive worked as domestic servants (Slavery in the U.S., p.1). These slaves were better dressed, better fed, and often favored; however, they were no happier with their position than field workers. Domestic servants ran errands, worked as gardeners, cooked and served meals. They also cared for livestock, cared for the masters children, spun wool, and cleaned the house. These slaves had no regular hours and had the discomfort of constantly being under the watchful eyes of the owner (John W. Blassingame, p.158). How the slaves were treated depended on the master. If he saw blacks as equal, then he might befriend his slaves, or possibly free them. He may have just needed help on the farm and would have hired out if it had been more economical. A cruel master may see them as cattle that must be whipped into shape. For the most part, the basic needs of the slaves were met, no matter the feelings of the master. They had shelter, food, and clothing even if it was just a minimal amount or of poor quality (John W. Blassingame, p. 159). Slaves were punished for things like disobedience, attempted runaway, learning to read or write, stealing, working too slowly, or attempting to prevent the sale of family members. Usually punishment was a flogging administered by an overseer. Non-violent means were administered whenever possible so as not to damage valuable property. These punishments included solitary confinement, humiliation, and extra work. A slaveholder generally speaking had no desire to endanger a slave’s life with punishment. However, occasionally passion took over a master causing him to kick, slap, or cuff a domestic servant and punish a slave so severely that it took weeks for him to recover. Any white man was allowed to punish slaves, and punishments were often more severe when the one who punished was not the owner (John W. Blassingame, p162). Some of the more rebellious slaves received torturous punishments. Iron weights with bells were put on their necks to slow them down and to announce their whereabouts. Some slaves were covered with tar and set on fire. Others had toes, fingers, nails, and other body parts beaten off. Many were lashed until blood flowed profusely from their backs. Some slaves were victims of ferocious dog attacks and others were hung by their thumbs and beaten (John W. Blassingame, p. 162-164). Despite the control that the master exerted over his slaves, they still had a family life. In the South, slaves were usually allowed a monogamous family life. Although slave families did not legally exist, they were the most important survival mechanisms for the slaves. The family provided love, companionship, sexual gratification, and sympathetic understanding. It also taught cooperation, ways to avoid punishment, and increased self-esteem. Slave holders usually encouraged families to develop because a married slave was less likely to be rebellious or try to run away because of the threat of losing their families (John W. Blassingame, p. 78,80). The rearing of children was one of the most important parts of the slave family. Parents could teach their children to be happy with their lives, help them understand their situation, teach values different from those that the owners tried to instill, and help them maintain self-esteem (John W. Blassingame, p. 79). However, parents had little or no authority over their children except for the small amount of time spent alone in the cabin. During the day, young children were taken care of by the elderly and rarely saw their mothers. Allowances of food were given weekly. Cornmeal and salt pork were generally given and was supplemented with vegetables from a slaves own garden and meat that he may have trapped or hunted. Only enough food to survive was given to the slaves. The slaves basically ate the same foods as his master, although it was of poorer quality. For example, while a owner would have choice cuts of a swine, a slave would be given the feet or snout. Slaves were usually given Sundays and holidays off. During this and other leisure times, slaves participated in many activities including fishing, hunting, wrestling, races and other contests, singing, dancing, playing music, marbles, gambling, conversing, and most often story-telling. Story-telling and music were central parts of slave life. African- American tales often had strong morals and were based on animals. Many tales, such as in the Brer Rabbit tales, involved a weak animal defeating a larger one. Dances were often held on the plantation that couples came to (John W. Blassingame).   Bibliography Blassingame, John W. The Slave Community. Oxford University Press, 1972 Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia, 1998 ed. Slavery in the United States.