Premium Essay

Women Slaves in 19th Century

In:

Submitted By cingram5601
Words 2661
Pages 11
Jacquelynn Bernhardt

History 1

Social Group Research Paper

Women Slaves in the Nineteenth Century

Since I was a young child I could never quite understand the reasoning behind slavery. I do not understand how one human being could possibly believe he or she has the right to treat another human as little more than an animal - buying, selling, leasing, and physically punishing someone else. Although slavery in general interested me, I was even more interested to find out how enslaved women were treated in the nineteenth century, before the Civil War and also after they were finally granted their freedom. I often thought women would have been treated a little better than males. I believed they would have been given an easier workload to bear since they also had the task of raising their children. It was disturbing to discover they were treated much worse than males were.

Because women could work as well as reproduce offspring, providing an additional generation of slaves, women were extremely valuable to slave owners. "Strong black women were sold as breeders valued for their reproductive as well as productive capacity" (Doherty). In the years just before the Civil War women were often sold for higher prices than males at slave auctions. "For one group of women, the assigned price depended upon their beauty and subsequent use to the master who could lease them to wealthy white men" (Doherty). Women were sold for as much as $1,800. Skilled men were sold for up to $1,500 and unskilled field hands were sold for up to $1,350 (Gates 22).

All slaves, no matter their age or gender, were required to perform labor-intensive work for a number of hours each day. They were given no reward for their hard work, however were expected to complete it as directed by their owner. The work and duties of the women were the same as that of the men, while

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

American Industrial Revolution

...One of the ways that the United States evolved during the American Industrial Revolution was the production of textiles. Before the 19th century, women would have to hand weave and sew clothes and other garments for their families. It was a very vigorous process for women to create clothing, so Samuel Slater came up with a brilliant idea to open a mill to produce thread. The thread would then be distributed to women throughout the Rhode Island region, where the mill was located. Over time the mill gained popularity, and soon Slater's small town mill was distributing to large cities throughout the United States. He also improved his mechanism which created thread, and modified it so the mill could produce finer yarns. The production of...

Words: 1180 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Pride and Prejudice

...Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen takes place in 19th century England. The story revolves around Elizabeth Bennet and her love interest Mr. Darcy.  While Pride and Prejudice is certainly a love story, Austen subtly underscores many different aspects of English society through the text. What does Jane Austen reveal about women in 19th century England through this novel?   To some extent Austen affirms Virginia Woolf’s quote as most of the women in Pride and Prejudice are depicted as insignificant and dependent upon men, and certainly not depicted as equal to men. Austen paints a society of women who are entirely dependent on marriage and money to better their situations and achieve a suitable life style.  However, Austen’s main character is Elizabeth Bennet, a woman who is an exception to the rule. She turns down a marriage proposal from Mr. Collins and has a rather contentious relationship with Mr. Darcy who she does finally marry. But she marries on her terms, not for money or land or because she fears not being wed.             Yet the focus of nearly all the woman characters is marriage.  In 19th century England, it was essential that all women marry because women who did not marry had no future on their own.   At the beginning of the story, Mrs. Bennet stated, “If I can but see one of my daughters happily settled at Netherfield, and all the others equally well married, I shall have nothing left to wish for.” (11)   This quote illustrates how essential marriage is at...

Words: 687 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

19th Century Slavery

...United States was very gradual and complex. During 19th century, the availability of ample slave laborers was used as a comparative advantage to help prosper the United States economically. Slaves were dominantly used to grow commercial crops such as: sugar, rice, tobacco, and cotton to help expand the economy abroad. The services of slaves were highly enjoyed by both the southern and northern slaveholders, yet they were denied the status of admissible culture. Slaves were vital contributors of American economic success in the 19th century. Slaves were constantly oppressed and tortured by their masters that prevented them from climbing the ladder of success and social classes. In addition, the slaveholders often broke the ties between many slave families through violence, sexual harassment, and the selling of family members to different plantations. This essay will vividly describe the hardship of the slaves in the 19th century. During the 19th century, female slaves experienced both physical and mental hardships. According to the narrative of Frederick Douglass, female slaves were often the prays of slave masters. Many slave masters used female slaves as their mistress. They used them for their physical pleasure at their will. Such female slaves were victims of greater hardships and physical torture. Their mistress often hated them for providing sexual pleasure and having multiple mulatto babies with their master. These female slaves could hardly do anything to please the mistress...

Words: 1208 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

A Call for Further Research: Afro-Chinese Marriages in 20th Century Cuba

...in 20th Century Cuba Katie Wang UCLA Professor Wright-Dixon I. Introduction Coalitions through marriage is a long understood concept. Kingdom alliances through marriages are ones that first come to mind. Often fictional portrayals of real pressures for pressures to gain resources or military alliance for a capital or imperial need involve young princes and princesses who are forced to marry. However, in a nonfictional example for this paper, Chinese indentured laborers or former indentured laborers and African slaves or former slaves married in 19th century Cuba both romantically and strategically. I argue that there needs to be further research around Afro-Chinese marriages in Cuba and a recentering on women. I had originally planned to center this paper around African slave women who married Chinese men in Cuba in the 19th century but was not able to because of the lack of literature available. However, I aim to focus on a reading against the grain for indications of women’s agency and voice in this set of literature. My personal stakes in this topic are two-fold. First, my mother’s side of my family lived in Cuba for a few decades from the late 1920s to 1960 as a part of an entrepreneurial endeavor and as refuge from persecution from the Communist Party of China. Because of my personal tie to Chinese in Cuba, I seek to uncover untold stories and hidden transcripts. Second, this paper is a part of a larger project on Chinese in Cuba in the 20th century, specifically...

Words: 3789 - Pages: 16

Premium Essay

Cult Of Domesticity

...Domesticity by many men resulted in many women staying in the private sphere unwillingly, unequal pay compared to similar jobs done by men, and few socially acceptable career options for women, causing them to fight these injustices legally in courts and participating in strikes and protests. On average, women received inferior education when compared to men, which prevented many women from becoming skilled workers; therefore, women claimed that the education system needed reforms due to the lack of equality. As a significant Antebellum reform movement, abolitionism attracted many women, which in turn caused them to reflect upon their own similarities with slaves and encouraged themselves to combat the social transgression...

Words: 1671 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Proper Management Ethically Sloved

...Debate 1: The Industrial Revolution in England from the 18th to the 19th century was a benefit to the English working class. By: 1. Dhakshani Dharmadeva (2614) 2. Dinu Siriwardana (2971) 3. Melani Mallawarachchi (2950) The Industrial Revolution in England from the 18th to the 19th century was NOT a benefit to the English working class. Industrial revolution was a period of major industrialization that took place during the late 1700s and early 1800s. The Industrial Revolution, beginning in Great Britain, quickly spread throughout the world. This time period saw the mechanization of agriculture, textile manufacturing, a revolution in power such as steam ships and railroads, and had a massive effect on social, cultural and economic conditions. We learned that industrial production increased tremendously, bringing wealth and power to Great Britain throughout the 19th century. But it’s time to consider its effects on people, we have yet to explore the effects of industrialization on society, on the daily living and the working conditions of common people. What was life like for the average industrial worker? Was living in a new industrial city and working in a factory an improvement over life in the countryside? Did the new factory life change for the better the roles of family members, including women and children? Were people healthier? In general, did the Industrial...

Words: 2740 - Pages: 11

Premium Essay

The Powerless In Uncle Tom's Cabin

...Necks of the 1800s: The Influence of the Powerless in Uncle Tom’s Cabin In My Big Fat Greek Wedding, a movie about a woman that goes against tradition to marry a man of another religion, there is a scene in which the main character and her mother have the following conversation: Toula: Ma, Dad is so stubborn. What he says goes. [Quoting her father,] “Ah, the man is the head of the house!” Maria (mother): Let me tell you something, Toula. The man is the head, but the woman is the neck. And she can turn the head any way she wants (IMDb). During the 19th century, one had to be a white male in order to hold any official power or influence in society. Women, as well as African Americans, had little to no economic or political power until the...

Words: 492 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Slavetrade

...Naomie Fleurjuste 3/23/12 Midterm The difference is that, Atlantic slave trade was very important for 18 century World Economy, because it was one of the three elements of so-called Triangular trade, a three-way exchange between America, Europe, and Africa. European traders would ship textiles, muskets, and manufactured merchandize to Africa and exchange it for slaves. Then they would take slaves to the West to Americas and exchange them for cotton and tobacco, and sail home. On each side of the triangular trade ships made huge profits plus they carried different valuable merchandize from both African continent and the New World. Thus, Atlantic slave trade was vitally important for 18th century sailors . The origin of Atlantic slave trade – and slave trade in general – is mainly associated with the shortage of labor in the developing New World. Contemporary European population in the Americas was not sufficient to support the plans of development. Even criminals that were sentenced to labor ran away, and could easily blend into white masses forever. Native Americans were not efficient as slaves either, because they were not that numerous and did not have immunity for diseases brought to the New World by Europeans . In addition, native Americans could easily escape because they knew the land well, their home were close, and they knew how to survive in the adjacent territories . But labor requirements...

Words: 1533 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Crime And Punishment In The 19th Century

...19th Century Crime and Punishment From 1880 to 1895, the number of offenders in a state prison jumped from 30,659 to a whopping 54,244. In just 15 years, there were 23,585 more offenders. During the 19th century, there were many different crimes committed for different reasons. With those different crimes, jails were overcrowded and punishments were needing to be reconsidered and changed to fit the modernizing time. In order to understand crime and punishment in the 19th century one should analyze the newer crimes, a rough economy, law enforcement, and mental health. One element that affected crime and punishment were the different crimes being committed. In Mark J. Collins analysis, “A Daily Life in the 1800’s United States”, he describes...

Words: 2719 - Pages: 11

Premium Essay

Women's Role

...My name is Ida B. Wells Barnett was in born in Holly Springs, Mississippi on July 16, 1862. Six months after my birth the Emancipation Proclamation was signed to freed the slaves. My parents James and Elizabeth Wells were born slaves and I was the oldest of seven siblings. My father was one of the first broad members of Rust College, so education was very important to my parents. In 1878 the tragic outbreak of the yellow fever took my parents and one of my youngest sibling lives. At the age of sixteen I drop out of school and raised five siblings with the help of friends and relatives (Baker, 1996). Having to be a caretaker and provider, I convinced the school administrator that I eighteen year old and landed a teaching job. In 1883 my siblings and I moved to Memphis with my aunt who gives me the opportunity to seek employment and help me with rise my youngest siblings (Baker, 1996). In Memphis I took training courses and was qualify to teach first grade students in Woodstock, Tennessee. On May 4, 1884 I purchased a first class ticket to Nashville, Tennessee on the train, I was outrage when a train conductor order me to give up my seat for a white man I refused and I got off at the next stop after causing so much commotion (Baker, 1996). As soon as I reached Memphis I hired a lawyer and sued the railroad company and winning a settlement of five hundred dollars, but the Tennessee Supreme Court later overturned the decision. After justice was not service to and I was treated unfair...

Words: 1317 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Women Role Then and Now

...Cady Stanton, and Ida B. Wells-Barnett. Their perspectives on women, class, and race were in opposition to one another, yet they both share some common views on white male dominance of 19th century America. Status of Women in the 19th Century The industrialization of the 19th century brought change to the world of women. One significant impact during this time was the formation of socioeconomic classes. The distinction was made between the middle class, the working class and much poorer classes. Regardless of social class, women's focus on spousal relationships, childrearing, personal fulfillment, and relationships with other women was affected by 19th century change. Industrialization left women in control of the domestic domain, thus affecting her role as a woman (Woloch, (2002) p72). The power and responsibility that came along with this new status would be dictated by the middle-class lifestyle. Unfortunately this new focus was not easily attained by working class women. "Most women, moreover, were only remote beneficiaries of or untouched by the social changes being affected by the Industrial Revolution. “ In rural areas, on farms North and South, and on the frontier, traditional ways of life persisted (Woloch, (2002) p72)." Generally, women and children continued to be part of the "family labor force" under the authority of the male head of household. The new sphere of influence experienced by some women was limited to those who had their own money, or were attached...

Words: 1962 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Social Reform DBQ Essay

...As American politics and the American Economy went through radical transformation periods during the Mid-19th century, so did the American social landscape. Campaigns for social reform began popping up all over America, with Ralph Waldo Emerson stating that there was not “a reading man who was without some scheme for a new utopia in his waistcoat pocket”. As the nation progressed through the 19th century reform movements attempted to, and sometimes succeeded at, reviving religion with religious reformation and the Second Great Awakening, moving away from materialism and greed, and addressing the multiple human rights issues going on in America at the time. Reformation in America started with religion and the religious revival movement of the Second Great Awakening. In the early 1800’s, America was beginning to show signs of going through an intense period of religious rejection and anticlericalism especially with the widely circulated book by...

Words: 1654 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Motives for English Imperialism

...motives include, economic gain, exploratory, political, religious and ethnocentric motives. Due to the large importation of American crops, England’s population doubled in size. With all the new people migrating to England, people started to compete for food, clothing and housing. This led to inflation of England. The increase number of people looking for works caused a decreased in wages. When landowners raised rents and seizing land, people were forced to leave their homes. Residents were forced to share smallholdings with multiple families. Living conditions worsen as the years went by. People were getting sick because of the unsanitary conditions in which they lived. In 1950, there were approximately 75,000 people living in London. A century later, nearly 450,000 occupied the streets of London. People began to migrate to the “new world” in hopes of improving their circumstances. Economic expansion was necessary in order for government and private organizations to maximize their profits. The economic expansion demanded cheap labor, the ability to buy and sell products to other countries, natural resources and land. After the Revolutionary War, the government met these requirements by meeting these demands by providing European factories and markets the materials they needed to manufacture products. This allowed imperial merchants to establish trading posts and warehouses, created transportation among these colonies. However, this new trading opportunity also created conflict...

Words: 1916 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Comparative Civilization Final Paper

...Laws in the Nineteenth Century Nannette Porter HIWD – 370: Comparative Civilization Instructor Katie Stewart October 13, 2015   Slavery had been a part of civilization since villages, and small communities began to form. The topic of slavery is an important part of our heritage, knowing how it began and what humanity has done to control it. It is interesting to see how Christianity can change the heart of one person, who can affect the change in a country. One small adjustment, thousands of miles abroad, can affect any civilization and history of many countries. During the 19th century many countries developed laws to gradually or immediately shift civilization away from slavery. This paper explores the religious influences motivating this shift in the legal system as well as the consequences of these laws on work civilization. Slavery was found worldwide and came in many different forms. The most common was the Slave, treated as chattels and wild animals, having no rights and endured harsh physical abuse. The Slave was known more and referred to as the ‘Western Slave’ more commonly found in America. Serfdom, a Russian repression, was a different form of slavery. Serfs were not a legal person, had no property rights, no right to credit transactions and not protected by custom. However, a serf had his own land and property, unlike in slavery. Serfdom was found in China, Japan, India and elsewhere. Muslim Slaves were another form of slavery...

Words: 2752 - Pages: 12

Free Essay

/Kjb'/L'

...qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmrtyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmrtyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmrtyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmrtyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwer...

Words: 921 - Pages: 4