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LAST BROWN LECTURE

PLANTATION SLAVERY, CONT.o John W. Blassingame, The Slave Community

Looked at the history of slavery from the view of slaves, referringto slave narratives which turned historical community

The Federal Writers Project (Z.N. Hurston headed that in Florida)o Religion

Varies, some Black minister(Tallahassee, James PAIGE, 1STBaptistminister, itinerant)

Assemblies in terms of religion usually had a white ministerpresents, b/c it was illegal for especially after the 1830s ( because of

the number of slave insurrections)

Clandestine slave servicescalled steal-aways (spiritual by thesame name)

o Recreation Usually on Sundays Wrestling Music Dancing

o Praise meetingSpirituals Choir singing Shouting Praying Generally clandestinely away from the plantation Burial ceremonies were also conducted this way

Wood headstones carved Decorated headstones, often with seashells, broken-pottery

or glass mosaics

Fisk Jubilee singers made Negro spiritual famous That model for a gospel choir spread to all Black schools (and

continues today) Black people were barred from participation the religion even as it

was imposed on them

Liberation Theology Form of Christianity tended to be selected by master and

played down any themes of enslavement, liberation, and

played up obedience to masters and submission

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Some churches were somewhat integrated in that there was amixed congregation (but they were usually separated into different

sections of the building)

Congregationalism/Puritan/Quaker movements had littleinfluence on Blacks

o Primary Environment Slave Quarters, religion conducted in the primary environment Everyday Musical Expression: Hambone/ Patting Juba

a tradition of percussion through hand clapping and lapslapping. Usually male

Folk talks/lore George Chandler Harris

Family

o Secondary environmento Secular Songs

Work songs Folk songs Etc.

SLAVERY IN THE CITIES Savannah; Charleston; New Orleans; Baltimore; Mobile; Richmond; Macon

GA(Southern port cities)

o Most slave owners in the city had few slaves, more slaves in the city than thecountry because more people had a few personal domestic servants

o 3/4 of the families in Charleston SC owned 2 slave sin 1820o New Orleans the most cosmopolitan city in the South; a national and

international Mecca

o Carpenters, Blacksmiths, Shoemakers, Tobacco Hands, Masons, Barbers,Brick Layers, Cabinets Makers, Jewelry makers, auditors, (Theyve almost

obliterated the white artisan class, white workers were marginalized by free

Blacks) by 1790 its difficult for poor whites to compete

o Utilizing slaves to do work in tobacco factories, usually young boys 8-11o Savannah fire depto N. Orleans bldg railroadso Could be owned by the city to do sanitationo Also owned by the hospital to do clean up, etc.o Anything that can be named, slaves were doing in urban citieso Could be owned by churches

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o Such workers were required to have a badge so that they could be known bytheir procession, also the owner had to by badge. Purchased by the owner b/c

they wanted hire a skilled individual. C

Richard Wade, Slavery in the Antebellum ities,1820-1860

Hiring Outo Usually done on off-days for money or provisions; happened

occasionally everywhere, but more popular in the North

House Servants City Badge Living Out

o Because of the largeness of the cities it might not be practical to returnto the master every night so some would live at board houses or at the

person where

o Didnt want slaves to interact w/ poor whites and free Blacks, and itsometimes assisted slaves in getting remuneration for their labor and

MAYBE eventually buy your freedom

o Larger number of males and interactions with women Board Money

o While living out had to pay for board, food, etc.o Living out and hiring out is how we get some limited growth in the

free Black population

Housingo Better options for urban slaves in the secondary environment b/c

usually in the structure where the master lived or nearby

Dresso Clothes were better because it showed the masters status and wealth

Dieto Better food? Better access to food, eat closer to what the master was

eating

o Depends also on if one is hiring/living out. Generally that populationwas on the margins of the city and didnt have the same accessas urban

slaves

o White city members worried about free blacks teaching hired outblacks to read and write

Charleston police force in 1820 had 100 in 1857 had 287 members of the policeforce, concerned with the growth of the free black populations and set up

community control groups to monitor slaves and set up municipal courts and

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urban centers for slaves and dealt out fines and punishment when slaves

broke the slave codes and district rules, also monitored for runaways

o 3 THINGS TO COMBAT THE ACCUMULATION OF FREE BLACKSIN THE CITY: 1820-1860 Urban slaves fell from 22% to 10%

Sold young males back to the plantation districts

Made it difficult to impossible to manumit or emancipate slaves Narrowed the differences between free black and slave black

through laws

o Charleston prohibited Blacks from being employed in skilled jobso ALSO 2ndwave of German and Irish immigrant 1830s-40s

Irish will do work considered to be nigger work Germans tried to accumulate land and become slave owners