Social Relationships on the Plantations

Question 1

Social Relationships on the Plantations

Answer 1

1. contact in fields
   whites were the overseers and disciplinarians
   slaves were slaves
2. weekly distributions of rations. yearly distribution of clothing (dress, hat, petticoat) women.
3. intersection in the Great House of domestics and sexploitation
4. contact during sunday market sale. Whites would buy from the slaves.
5. church
6. some of them enjoyed each other’s celebrations. The whites enjoyed the slaves’ John Canoe dance, and slaves enjoyed birthday and wedding celebrations.
7. some slaves acted as informers for the whites..they sold out fellow slaves about theiving, revolts, running away.

Question 2

provision grounds

Answer 2

tracts of land to grow food to help sustain themselves. The excess could be sold at the sunday market.

Question 3

reasons why the whites feared the slaves

Answer 3

1. poisoned by slaves
2. potential of rebellious and revolts
3. they feared the male slaves could potentially rape and worse, consensual sex.
4. slaves outnumbered whites

whites feared Africans practising obeah…felt it caused great harm and planters banned it however they continued to practise it

Question 4

slaves feared whites

Answer 4

whites mocked their culture

whites had superior weapons

women were afraid of sexpolitation

feared they would be sold away from their family and frineds and plantation..this is why they kept their possessions with them

whites could pass laws that could oppress them..whites were in charge of the local assemblies.

Question 5

Privileges of Whites on the Plantations

Answer 5

1. They ate better food
2. They were better clothed.
3. They had superior housing(mention the Great House)
4. Their jobs were less physically demanding.
5. Generally they were educated and had a lot of social influence
6. Owned the wealth of the island (slaves, land, etc.)
7. They could/had the right to bear arms and could command the militia
8. They had the right to vote.
9. They controlled the local assemblies, they would pass laws to benefit themselves.

Question 6

privileges of the coloureds

Answer 6

• personal servants
• lived in the great house because it was convenient to the planter
• got leftovers from the white
• the coloured woman were seemed as sexually attractive to the planters

Question 7

What was the Great House?- had a wrap-around porch.

Answer 7

The home of planters / attorneys for the absentee owner was called the Great House, and it was a privilege for a slave in the outlying areas of the plantation to be asked to run errands there.

the most prominent building by virtue of its size and position and occasionally was adorned with stylish architectural features. The columned portico, even today, remains the prime icon of plantation identity.

The Great House was the seat of authority on an estate. It was the home of planters, or attorneys who acted for the absentee owner. The size and profitability of the property and the wealth of the owner determined the size of the house.

Question 8

Plantocracy

Answer 8

a population of planters regarded as the dominant class, especially in the West Indies.

planters controlled
- the militia
- sugar industry
- owned slaves so were wealthy
- educated
- local assemblies