Black Slaves' Life

Extract

[...] Supervision of slaves on the farms The farms and slaves were under the responsibility of an overseer, who was always armed. To punish the less obedient slaves, they cut and slashed the heads of women in a horrible way. The masters were not gentle slavers, they showed unimaginable cruelty. The overseers are hardened by a long life of slavery, they sometimes seemed to take great pleasure in whipping the slaves. At dawn, we could already hear the cries of pain from disobedient slaves. They are so violent that they stop once the slave is literally covered with blood. [...]

[...] The annual clOthing allOwance cOnsisted Of twO linen shirts, One pair Of linen pants, One jacket, One pair Of pants, One pair Of sOcks and One pair Of shOes, fOr a tOtal cOst Of at the time. Since the children cOuld not wOrk, they were given shOes, sOcks, jackets, and pants. Slaves received Only enough fOOd tO keep them alive. MOst plantationOwners gave a ration of fOOd at the beginning of the week. This diet was lOw in vitamins and minerals, and many slaves became ill. The slaves had no beds, unless a cOarse blanket was cOnsidered as such, and Only the men and wOmen had One. [...]