The Underground Railroad

Slavery in America

The first slaves in America were brought from Africa in 1619. The Africans were kidnapped from their homes and brought against their will to Virginia. In Virginia, were forced to work for no pay, and they were oftentimes beaten and starved. They had no rights.

Over the next few decades, more Africans continued to arrive at the colonies, and by 1641, they were officially called slaves.

The slaves were brought across the Atlantic Ocean on a journey called the Middle Passage. The trip could take four to twelve weeks. Sometimes, the slaves had a little space to breathe and sleep, but other times, they’d be packed like sardines. The slaves had chains around their ankles, and they used buckets as bathrooms. Many slaves caught diseases, such as smallpox, on the dirty ships, and there wasn’t a lot of food to eat. Some slaves tried to jump overboard or starve themselves. To them, slavery was a fate worse than death.

When the slaves arrived in the colonies, they were brought to auctions. White people would inspect, poke, prod, and pinch them, before deciding how much they’d be willing to pay for them. They were treated like animals, not humans.

Most slaves in the South worked on plantations. They would plant, till, and pick the crops, such as cotton, tobacco, and sugarcane. They began at sunrise and did not finish until after sunset. There was very little food and water. Overseers watched over the slaves with whips, and they’d punish any slave they felt was lazy. Both men and women were forced to work. Pregnant women, too. And after giving birth, the women would strap their baby on their back and keep working.

Field slaves lived in small cabins with dirt floors. They were given rough blankets and maybe some straw to sleep on. Slave children didn’t go to school, and most never learned to read or write. Slaves caught trying to educate themselves or children were whipped or beaten—even the children.

Slave owners lived in big, fancy houses. House slaves had slightly better lives. They cooked, clean, serve food, or perform childcare for the master’s children. They sewed and gardened. They lived inside the house, perhaps in a closet or small room, away from their families.

Because slave owners could sell their slaves any time they wanted, owners oftentimes split apart families and sold them to far-off plantations. A strong slave, or a good cook or housekeeper, could fetch a fair price. About one out of every five slaves sold was a child under ten, who’d be sold without their parents. Once separated, most families would never be reunited again.

There were also slaves in cities and towns. The slaves worked in shops and businesses. At one point, there were slaves in every part of America. In fact, twelve past United States presidents owned slaves.

By 1804, slavery was outlawed in Connecticut, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont. In 1808, it became illegal to bring in new slaves from other countries. But slavery itself was still legal. And any child born to slaves was also a slave, so the population of slaves continued to grow. Their only hope for a better life was to escape.

Plantation Life

On Master Stevens’ plantation, the slaves always wake up at dawn. Addy goes out to the field with the other children to worm the tobacco. They have to peel the big green worms off the leaves so they can’t eat the plants. But today, Addy isn’t paying a lot of attention.

The overseer comes over to Addy, whip in hand. Addy squeezes her eyes shut so she can’t see the whip being pulled back, with its hot tail about to rip into her skin.

But instead, the overseer grabs her wrists with one hand, and a handful of worms in the other. The worms are alive and wriggling. He stuffs the worms into Addy’s mouth, and demands she eat them and chew them up. They burst in her mouth, and their bitter taste makes her gag. The overseer stands and watches until she swallows the worms. Addy doesn’t even cry. When the overseer rides off, she goes back to work.