The reading on Friday went into detail about the day-to-day life of the slaves. Some slaves were assigned to work the fields of the plantation while a small group tended to the house.
For the slaves working in the fields their lives revolved around the cash crop. On average they worked between 10-14 hours a day, and during harvest time, 18 hours. Plantation owners hired drivers and handlers to ensure that the slaves worked their hardest. Drivers were sometimes poor whites and even slaves. Fellow slaves would whip and punish other slaves to make sure that the slaves met their quota.
For the slaves that worked in the house, the labor was less strenuous but more stressful then working in the fields. With the planter's family constantly present in the house, slaves were careful to make sure that they did the best job possible. Some of the tasks that they needed to fulfill were: tending to the fire, cleaning, cooking, gardening, making candles, making butter, and helping raise the children of their owners.
Today's reading has to deal with how slaves resisted their masters. These tactics vary from running away to stealing food. Many owners had fierce repercussions for slaves that were caught breaking the rules. Despite the threats of whipping and mutilation, many slaves chose to disobey their owners.
Today will be one of the last readings for awhile I promise.
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