Who Had Slaves?
By the early 1800s, slavery was abolished in all states north of the border of Pennsylvania and Maryland. Trouble was growing between the slave owners of the South and the abolitionists of the North.
By the early 1800s, slavery was abolished in all states north of the border of Pennsylvania and Maryland. Trouble was growing between the slave owners of the South and the abolitionists of the North.
The United States of America. Today this country stands for freedom. But that was not always so. From the early 1600s until 1865, slavery was legal in parts of the country.
Most slaves’ lives were brutal. Many worked in the fields from sun up to sun down. It was often backbreaking work. Slaves who slowed down might be harshly whipped. Most slaves were poorly fed and clothed. They often lived in broken down shacks. These homes were cold in the winter and hot in the summer.
For many slaves, there was no way out. Escaping alone was difficult and dangerous. Owners hired slave catchers to catch them. They used dogs to hunt runaways down. Returned slaves were brutally punished as an example to others. They might be nearly whipped to death or tortured. Sometimes, they were put in uncomfortable chains. They also might be branded with a hot iron. Owners branded them with the letter “R” for returned slave.
Whippings left slaves brutally scarred or dead.
The neck ring was used as a punishment for running away.
Slave hunters often used bloodhounds to track down and chase slaves.