Labor, Culture, and Economy
Zoe Green
8 min read
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Study Guide Overview
This study guide covers the labor and skills of enslaved people, including various labor tasks (domestic, agricultural, skilled), institutional enslavement, and the commodification of skills. It also examines different labor systems (gang vs. task) and their impact on cultural practices such as work songs and language preservation (Gullah). The guide further explores the economic impact of slavery, including North-South interdependence and resulting wealth disparities. Finally, it provides practice questions and exam tips, emphasizing the connections between these key topics.
#AP African American Studies: The Night Before Review 🚀
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#1. Labor and Skills of Enslaved People
#Variety of Labor Tasks
- Enslaved people performed a wide range of jobs, regardless of age or gender. Think of it like a full spectrum of work! 🌈
- Domestic Work: Cooking, cleaning, childcare 🏠
- Agricultural Work: Planting, harvesting, livestock care 🧑🌾
- Skilled Labor: Blacksmithing, carpentry, tailoring 🔨
- Roles varied by location, with some enslaved people bound to institutions like churches, factories, and colleges. 🏢
- Many enslaved Africans brought valuable skills from Africa that enslavers exploited. 💡
- Examples: Blacksmithing, basket-weaving, rice & indigo cultivation.
- African Americans developed specializations (painters, carpenters, tailors, musicians, healers) that enslavers commodified.
- Despite commodification, these skills were used for survival, culture, and community. ✊
#Domestic vs. Agricultural Labor
- Domestic Labor: Tasks within the household. 🧺
- Cooking, cleaning, childcare.
- Agricultural Labor: Farming and plantation work. 🚜
- Planting, harvesting, tending to livestock.
#Institutional Enslavement
- Enslaved people bound to institutions (churches, factories, colleges) rather than individuals. 🏛️
- Often involved specialized labor tasks specific to the institution.
- Maintaining church grounds, factory work, college campus labor.
#Skills and Commodification
- Enslaved Africans brought valuable skills that enslavers exploited. 💰
- Blacksmithing, basket-weaving, rice & indigo cultivation.
- African Americans developed specializations that enslavers commodified.
- Painting, carpentry, tailoring, music, healing.
- These skills were used for survival, culture, and community.
Enslaved people's labor was diverse and crucial to the economy, yet they were denied its benefits. This is a key point for understanding the legacy of slavery.
#2. Slave Labor and Cultural Practices
#Gang vs. Task Systems
- Gang System: Enslaved people worked in groups from sunrise to sunset under supervision. ☀️
- Used for crops like cotton, sugar, and tobacco. 🌿
- Led to the creation of work songs with syncopated rhythms. 🎶
- Task System: Enslaved people worked individually until a daily quota was met, with less supervision. ⏰
- Used for crops li...
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