female slaves and their families

A detailed Summary of female slaves and their families


Slave families had a tendency to be unstable, due to the nature of the institution of slavery. Masters could sell members of the family away if they desired, or could separate the family on the plantation, making them work in different areas. Despite this instability, the family tended to be a central part of a slave's life, and women played a significant role in the development of this family.

Slave owners often did not differentiate between genders on the field, and thus the women often ended up working alongside men in fieldwork. However, within the slave community, there was a more marked gender differentiation. The men usually did chores such as trapping and hunting animals for food, while the women did more of the domestic duties. While these domestic duties tended to add more work to the slave woman's day, the domestic work was a way for women to rebel against the master to a degree. Women did this work to keep themselves and their families healthy, and would on occassion help a runaway slave by providing for him or her. These responsibilities were in


Female slaves understandably did not want their children to become slaves, if it was possible at all to avoid it. Thus many women tried to escape with their children. Some felt that they'd rather kill their children than have them become slaves. A good example of this is Margaret Garner. She and her husband and children escaped with a group of other slaves in the winter of 1856, when the Ohio River was frozen over. They made it to the other side of the river (into freedom), but there their pursuers caught up with them. When it became evident to Margaret that they would not remain free, she attempted to kill her children and herself. She slit the throat of her little daughter (possibly her favorite), but was restrained before she could complete the task. She was then returned to her master, after a Commissioner decided that she was still legally a slave, but she drowned in a shipwreck while being sent back to Kentucky.

The family was important to most slave women, and they had ways of making sure that they stayed together, though these weren't foolproof. A woma

Some common words found in the essay are:
Mary Colquitt, , Ohio River, Silla Ever'body, Margaret Garner, slave owners, children slaves, slave women, family slave, domestic duties, kill children, themselves families, slave families,

Approximate Word count = 719
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: History

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