Slave history, South.
Explanation:
Living conditions:
In rural areas living conditions for slaves were mostly determined by the size of the land they were situated on. Contrary to the overwhelming image of the grand Southern plantation worked by hundreds of slaves, most farming (agricultural units) only held up to 20-30 slaves 2 decades before the Civil War.
Work
The conditions of slaves under most circumstances were grouped into the experiences of field slaves and house slaves.
House slaves done the majority of the indoor work and field slaves mainly done agricultural.The vast majority of slaves worked in the fields, while a select few worked at homes and other duties around the owners houses. Each situation had its own set of demands,most were very hazardous however the perks regarding not only labor, but also quality of food, clothing, and shelter received was seen as a fair enough payment by the slave owners.
Food
Most food was corn meal, lard, some meat, molasses, peas and flour -were distributed on a set day such as every Saturday. Vegetable patches or gardens, if permitted by the owner, supplied fresh produce to add to the rations however more than likely the slaves had to produce this themselves. Morning meals were prepared and consumed at daybreak in the slaves' cabins or huts. The day's other meals were usually prepared in a central cookhouse by the elderly man or woman no longer capable of labor in the field. A former enslaved man said "The peas, the beans, the turnips, the potatoes, all seasoned up with meats and sometimes a ham bone, was cooked in a big iron kettle and when meal time come they all gathered around the pot for a-plenty of helpings!" This took place at noon, or whenever the field slaves were given a break from work. At the day's end, some semblance of family dinner would be prepared by a wife or mother in individual cabins. Enslaved people in all regions and time periods often did not have enough to eat; some resorted to stealing food from the master. House slaves could slip food from leftovers in the kitchen, but had to be very careful not to get caught, for harsh punishments awaited such an offense.
Clothing and accessories
Clothing, was issued by the owner/master, usually once a year and mainly around Christmas time, most clothing was according to the wearers gender/sex and age as well the work performed by its wearer. Children, often went unclothed entirely until they reached adolescence.
Elderly slaves who could not do physical labor were not given the shoes or extra clothing during the winter that younger fieldworkers were, which made them more vunerable to the elements.Whereas many field workers were not given sufficient clothing to cover their bodies, house slaves tended to be dressed with more modesty, sometimes in the hand-me-downs of masters and mistresses. Most slaves lived in similar dwellings, simple cabins furnished sparely. A few were given rooms in the main house.
Hope this is okay as I wasn't sure what else to put as the summary but feel free to add or to get rid of somethings.
