History of the Pedee Plantation, Essay Example

Introduction

Plantations were a common fixture in the American society in the 18th century. The life in these plantations was unique from the current situation. The plantations involved labor from slaves under the direction of white masters. The situation was further made complex with the racial overtones, which characterized the perception of the white population towards the black slaves. When the plantations of the 18th century are explored, it is apparent that there were challenges affecting the lives of the slaves and slave owners respectively. Considering the situation in Pedee plantation, these challenges include issues concerning housing, diseases and cruel treatment on the slaves among others. In order to comprehend how life was at a plantation in the 18th century, it is crucial to consider the perspective of the slaves and owners in this endeavor. Despite the use of slaves for labor in the 18th century plantations, there were numerous challenges experienced by the owners and the slaves during this period.

Despite the plantations in the 18th century employing slave labor, there was an occurrence of pronounced discrimination for the slaves. This was not different in Pedee plantation where white employees discriminated against the black workers. This resulted in discrepancies between the races where the white employers considered themselves superior to their black counterparts[1]. This situation resulted in injustices, which included unnecessary whippings, and even murders that were unpunished. This shows that there was preferential treatment for the white employees when compared to the black slaves in the farm[2]. This situation resulted in incidences of conflict between the two races which could lead to violent confrontations[3]. It was essential for the plantation owners to mediate the situation in order to ensure that the violence was minimized despite the racial tensions. This is evident in the Pedee plantation whereby there was a confrontation between O’Neill and Henry whereby the conflict between the two resulted in Henry being wounded seriously. Despite this occurrence, it is evident that O’Neill was not reprimanded for the crime due to his racial inclination, and it was hoped that Henry will be compensated with the payment of the medical expenses. This scenario represents the racial relationships vividly, which were experienced in the 18th century in plantations.

Another issue, which is apparent, in life at the Pedee plantation is that the slaves experienced challenges in housing and diseases. The increasing number of slaves in farms presented a problem for both the plantation owners and the slaves themselves. For instance, the increasing population due marriages among the slaves presented a challenge for the plantation owners since they had to provide adequate housing for the swelling numbers. In order to counter this challenge, it was imperative that the plantation owners put measures in place in order to ensure that the increasing population had access to shelter. However, in most plantations, the slave families had to share accommodations with more than one family in a house. This is evident in the situation, in Pedee plantation whereby the owner acknowledges the problem in housing and takes measures to address this situation[4]. The owners in this situation looked to provide quality using the available resources, which included timber as the primary material and stone. Disease was also another challenge for individuals living in the plantations. This was magnified by the threat of contagious diseases including small pox among others[5]. This was a threat for the plantation population considering the problems in housing and the congestion which was experienced due to population growth among the slaves[6]. In addition, inadequate medical supplies also added to the problem of diseases and health whereby the slaves experienced fevers. This necessitated the plantations to limit the interaction of slaves with other plantations in order to control the diseases. Therefore, in the incidence of communicable diseases the plantations quarantined their workers in order to prevent the spread of the diseases a situation, which would result in a negative impact for the plantations productivity[7].

Motivating the slaves was also a challenge for the farm owner. The workload being handled by the slaves was immense, and this was draining for the slaves in the physical and psychological perspectives[8]. Therefore, the plantation owners had to ensure that the slaves were properly motivated during their mandate in the farms[9]. One of the ways, which was used to ensure that the slaves were motivated, was through the provision of basic pleasures like alcohol and beef after the successful completion of a planting season. This encouraged the slaves to work hard during the planting season resulting in favorable harvests. In addition, the festive seasons also allowed the slaves some degree of freedom. This included the allowance for slaves to have time off during Christmas, and permission to visit other areas within the vicinity of the plantation.

Conclusion

Life in plantations in the 18th century involved numerous challenges for the slaves and the plantation owners. This can be attributed to the complex social situation, which was experienced in the region. It is evident that the plantations had to contend with problems of violence, disease and housing issues. In addition, it was essential for the owners to ensure that the workers were motivated in order to facilitate high yields. Therefore, the plantations in the aforementioned period had to address the aforementioned problems in order to ensure productivity.

Bibliography

Boyer, Paul S. 2010. The enduring vision: a history of the American people. Boston: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning.

Durant, Thomas J., and J. David Knottnerus. 2000. Plantation society and race relations: the origins of inequality. Westport, Conn. [u.a.]: Praeger.

Katz-Hyman, Martha B., and Kym S. Rice. 2011. World of a slave encyclopedia of the material life of slaves in the United States. Santa Barbara, Calif: Greenwood.

Rediker Marcus. The Pedee Plantation.

Wood, Betty. 2005. Slavery in colonial America, 1696-1776. Lanham, Md. [u.a.]: Rowman & Littlefield.

[1] Boyer, Paul S. 2010. The enduring vision: a history of the American people. Boston: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning.

[2] Rediker Marcus. The Pedee Plantation

[3] Boyer, Paul S. 2010. The enduring vision: a history of the American people. Boston: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning.

[4] Rediker Marcus. The Pedee Plantation

[5] Durant, Thomas J., and J. David Knottnerus. 2000. Plantation society and race relations: the origins of inequality. Westport, Conn. [u.a.]: Praeger.

[6] Katz-Hyman, Martha B., and Kym S. Rice. 2011. World of a slave encyclopedia of the material life of slaves in the United States. Santa Barbara, Calif: Greenwood.

[7] Rediker Marcus. The Pedee Plantation

[8] Wood, Betty. 2005. Slavery in colonial America, 1696-1776. Lanham, Md. [u.a.]: Rowman & Littlefield.

[9] Durant, Thomas J., and J. David Knottnerus. 2000. Plantation society and race relations: the origins of inequality. Westport, Conn. [u.a.]: Praeger