Slave_Culture

Class Structure and Slave Culture The picture shows a five generation slave family which supports that at that time the population increased naturally and were not separated by their owners for trade and other economic reasons. If a census was taken, more than half of the slaves lived in the Deep South, outnumbering white southerners (Davidson, et al, 2006). The slaves all live in a cramped shack, but by their clothing the women look as if they are domestic servants who obey the mistresses of the plantation by tending to housework and the family’s meals. The men most likely toiled in the fields, for they look worn and tired, but could have been skilled workers. Most planters ranked among the richest citizens in America and were always concerned with money and profits (Davidson, et al, 2006). Although this is the case the majority of slave owners onlyhad few slaves, but the ones that owned more than fifty slaves were seen as the wealthiest among the white South (Davidson, et al, 2006). This family is typical of that time; I feel that they are on a slightly smaller plantation only because most of the larger plantation owners did not care if the families were together and were most likely to split them up for profit or trade of other goods. Although slavery was a huge labor system in the Deep South the wealthier plantation owners still only made up one percent of the white population. Resources Davidson, J., Ginapp, W., Heyrman, C., Lylte, M., Stoff., M. (2006). Nations of Nations: A Concise narrative of the American Republic (4th ed.). Boston: McGraw Hill