Slave Family Research Paper

Words: 1413
Pages: 6

Life as a slave was very complex and varied greatly depending on who was their master and mistress. They were forbidden to marry, own property, or attend church services. Slave lifestyles ranged from living a comfortable and almost normal life to continuously being mentally abused and physically beaten to the brink of death. Some slave owners were kind and allowed their slaves to have a certain amount of freedom. Slave families who were blessed with a skill or trade such as building, sewing, or cooking were considered valuable because they acquired more wealth for their master. A skilled slave and their family received better treatment and living conditions than other slaves. The loyalty and dedication of a slave to providing their master with a prosperous life insured that their family remained together and with the same owner for several generations. Abuse and hardships …show more content…
If negative accusations were made against one of them, the slave or one of their family members would be sold out of anger by their master, even if the accusations were false. Slave women and young girls were raped and sexually abused by their master and bore children who were fathered by their master. If the women identified who the father was it was considered a crime and they were tortured and the child was sold. Slaves worked from sun up to sun down to ensure there was enough profit to please their master in hopes of avoiding the threats of being sold to another owner. The first day of the year, known as hiring day, every slave was subject to being sold to a slave trader, even the ones with prosperous crops. Families could be sold separately to owners in different states and never see each other again. No slave ever fully trusted their owner. They knew that at any given time their master could betray them and then they would start their miserable life over again with a new