There were many farms, but few plantations. Each plantation had a mansion where rich white people lived. There were also cabins for the field slaves. Each cabin had one room and about 10-15 slaves or 2-3 families lived there. The floors were made out of dirt or wood. They had no furniture except for a bed, which was a mattress filled with corn husks. They worked for 12-16 hours a day. The slaves rested, slept ate, and spent time with their families for the remainder of the day.

One of the reasons black people were chosen to be slaves by whites was it was easier for the whites to distinguish between blacks and whites because of skin color. It made it simpler to tell who was and who was not a slave. White men defended slavery because it gave them or their country more money. It made their businesses more successful.

When slaves ran away, whites found them really fast because of their skin color. After they were found, they were separated from their families; were hit with a whip or branch; or in some cases, one of their feet would be cut off.

The slaves were treated badly. Often if they stopped working or did not work enough, the overseer, who was the ownerÕs manager, would whip or reprimand them.

Slaves could not get married, touch the bible or other books, read, or meet in groups because it was against the law. The masters did not want the slaves to have any rights or to learn how to read because they might have learned about the countries laws or constitution. The Constitution stated that all men are created equal, regardless of their religion or skin color. The plantation owners and many Americans did not follow the Constitution. They were hypocritical. A hypocrite is a person who pretends to believe in something but does not really do it.

The plantation owners came to this country for freedom and more wealth. Many did get better lives and some even got everything they wanted, but they used people of color as blacks and native Americans to get it.