Chapter 11: Cotton, Slavery, and the Old South Flashcards
House Slaves
Brinkley 309
1) Household servants generally had an easier life physically than those who worked in the fields, and this domestic staff included: nursemaids, housemaids, cooks, butlers, and coachmen.
2) This group of servants lived close to the family and in some cases lived in the “big house” even eating the families leftovers.
3) Occasional relationships formed between the family and their slaves, but more often the slaves resented being separated from their slave companions.
4) House slaves were more often punished than slaves working in the fields because they were under closer supervision; however, when emancipation came after the civil war, house slaves were the first to be released.
5) Many female slaves were sexually abused by their masters, and harshly treated my white women who naturally resented the infidelity of their husbands.
Gabriel Prosser
Brinkley pg. 313
1) Gathered 1,000 slaves outside of Richmond, but the revolt was put down before it could begin b/c two slaves gave the plot away
2) Exemplified black Southerners’ resistance to slavery and the idea that slaves were not content with their position within southern society (even if there were few instances of actual rebellion)
