How do the gang system and task system compare?
Gang System: Group work, sunrise to sunset, supervision, cotton/sugar/tobacco. Task System: Individual work, daily quota, less supervision, rice/indigo.
Compare domestic and agricultural labor.
Domestic Labor: Tasks within the household. Agricultural Labor: Farming and plantation work.
Define domestic labor.
Tasks within the household, such as cooking, cleaning, and childcare.
Define agricultural labor.
Farming and plantation work, including planting, harvesting, and tending to livestock.
What is institutional enslavement?
Enslaved people bound to institutions (churches, factories, colleges) rather than individuals.
Define the gang system.
Enslaved people worked in groups from sunrise to sunset under supervision.
Define the task system.
Enslaved people worked individually until a daily quota was met, with less supervision.
What are syncopated rhythms?
Rhythms that emphasize off-beats, often used in work songs to coordinate labor and foster unity.
What is Gullah?
A creole language developed in the Carolina lowcountry, combining West African languages and English.
Define commodification.
The process of treating something as a commodity or article of trade, often exploiting its value for profit.
What is economic interdependence?
A relationship in which two or more regions or entities rely on each other for economic stability and growth.
Define racial wealth disparities.
Differences in wealth accumulation between racial groups, often resulting from historical and systemic inequalities.
What was the significance of enslaved Africans bringing skills to America?
Enslaved Africans possessed skills like blacksmithing and rice cultivation, which enslavers exploited, contributing to the economy and the survival of enslaved communities.
How did work songs impact enslaved people?
Work songs with syncopated rhythms helped coordinate labor, foster unity, and express the hardships and emotions of enslaved life.
What role did the Gullah language play for enslaved people?
The preservation of the Gullah language allowed for connection to heritage, communication, and cultural transmission among enslaved people.
How did textile mills in the North benefit from slavery?
Textile mills processed cotton produced by enslaved labor, contributing to the economic interdependence between the North and South.
How did Northern banks profit from slavery?
Northern banks provided loans to Southern plantations, facilitating the expansion of the slave economy.
How did merchants in the North benefit from slavery?
Merchants traded goods produced by enslaved labor, profiting from the exploitation of enslaved people.
What was the impact of slavery on wealth accumulation for enslaved people?
Enslaved people had no wages, property rights, or ability to accumulate wealth, leading to long-lasting economic inequalities.
How did slavery affect homeownership rates among African Americans?
The lack of wealth accumulation due to slavery led to lower homeownership rates among African Americans in subsequent generations.
What impact did slavery have on access to education for African Americans?
Slavery deprived enslaved people of education, contributing to reduced access to education for African Americans after emancipation.
How did slavery contribute to income gaps?
The historical denial of wages and property rights to enslaved people contributed to persistent income gaps between African Americans and whites.
