Existing comment:
Slaves:
Population of South Carolina in 1850: 384,984 or 57.50%
Slaves occupied the bottom rung of the social ladder. They were considered the property of their masters and had little control over their own lives. The slaves provided the labor for the plantation system. Though they made up the majority of the population, they had no power or prestige.
The lifestyle of the slaves was primarily determined by their masters. The slaveowner decided where and how they lived and the work they did. Most slaves lived and worked on plantations. Some were house servants, but most were field hands. They planted, tended, and harvested the master's crops.
The slaves lived in small cabins built on rough-hewn board or logs. Typically, a cabin had one or two rooms, a dirt floor, a mud and stick fireplace, and few window.s On a plantation, the cabins were often arranged in two parallel rows and were referred to as the "Street" or "Quarters".
Slaves received no formal education. It was illegal to teach a slave to read and write. A few did learn, however, and often passed their knowledge on to others.
Religion was extremely important to the slaves. Prohibited from establishing their own churches, most slaves in South Carolina attended their master's church.
For entertainment, the slaves socialized among themselves. When possible they visited slaves on neighboring plantations. Holidays, such as Christmas and Easter, were times of particular celebration. |