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Slavery In The South Essay

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During the early 17th century, North America used slavery for labor purposes. Throughout the country, slavery was used but slowly the use of slaves started diminishing in the North, and was only used in the South. Slavery in the South was more commonly used because of the abundance of cotton being grown on plantations. Although many plantations used slaves for labor, slave owners were a minority, and by the mid 1800’s only one fourth of white southerners owned slaves. Throughout centuries, slaves influenced their masters economically by producing cheap labor, by increasing a master’s slave population, and by being dependent on their master.
The work produced by slaves in the south, consisted of brutal conditions, but brought a large income …show more content…

Masters in the South encouraged slaves to marry. They encouraged it because they wanted more slaves to be born and wanted less to flee the plantation. Masters at times would arrange marriages. Masters also would sell slaves that came out of marriages, and would sell spouses. Although many families were not close because masters sold their family members, most slave families had a close relationship with each other. On the other hand, some mothers did not have close relationships with their children because they were working in the fields away from their children. Only a few women stayed to take care of the children during the day. These marriages did not protect the wife though. This is because her white master would usually sexually assault her and impregnate her. Her children were mulato, and were considered slaves and disregarded by their father. The wife of the master would not enjoy this particular side of slavery because she notices how her husband is unfaithful, and has to see a reminder of it mostly every day. Thus, the bond of marriage between slaves and growth of slave families brought prosperity to their masters because they were able to create more slaves to sell and produce

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