Women and Slavery 9/12/07

Women

Women needed to populate colonies

Women kept men under control

Undermined male authority

Greater independence

Slaves gave less need to focus on domestic chores

 Educate themselves

Education leads to power

Independent, didn't have parents or male relatives to influence decisions

More women chose to go to New England

Men still dominated New England

Puritan Patriarchal Families

Many slave ports in Africa where tribes would sell other tribes

Slaves

Slaves taken from Africa to America

Called Middle Passage

Horrific

"Amistad"

Most Slaves arrived in West Indies

Worked sugar cane fields

Made rum

Rum shipped to England

Money for rum used to buy more slaves

Used Slaves went to Carolinas

Tobacco

From 1620 to 1780, indentured servitude decrease, slavery increases

How did slaves fit in family?

Slaves needed to perform well

Healthy slave is better slave

Head of family bought slaves and were generally good, but slavemasters were unkind

Ideal Characteristics in slaves

Diligent

Strong

Stupid (Couldn't rise up)

Male

Healthy

Female

White women wanted non-pretty slaves, men wanted pretty

Relationships between races happened often

Happened often with white men and black women

Far less with black men

No social ramifications for men

Able to do feminine tasks

Eventually slave codes will dictate laws for slaves

Allowed slave owners free reign