The Impact of Slavery on Black Women

The Impact of Slavery on Black Women

“Only by experience can any one realize how deep, and dark, and foul is that pit of abominations.” (Jacobs, 120). These words are spoken by Harriet Jacobs (also known as Linda Brent) and after reading about her life experience as a slave, I have come to believe that slavery was far worse for women than it ever was for men. Jacobs never states that black slave men had it easy during the slave years, in fact she tells a few stories about how some slave men were beaten. She also tells about the life experience of a slave girl, herself. Her own experiences made me feel blessed that I was never born as a black woman during the time of slavery. I do not think that I would have been strong enough to endure such times.

Let’s begin with the living conditions and the rights and honor of a slave, male or female. First of all, slaves were given one pair of shoes, two pairs of pants, and maybe one shirt that was to last them for at least a year. Most of the time, their shoes were used or old shoes. Once their shoes got holes and wore down, they wore nothing on their bare feet, even through the winter times. When it came to rights, no black slave had any rights. When I say any, I mean none. Just to name a few; they, and this was for women too, had no right to protect their families, marry who they wish, or own any property. Black men were considered to have no honor. Having honor was something that the Elite white men believed that only they could possess Honor in their eyes of the white man was represented by a dual. If you were a black slave, you could not defend yourself or your family because according to the whites, slaves and women had no honor. If they even thought about proving themselves, which was rare, they were either whipped or killed by their Masters. Slaves were not looked at as men. They were looked as property, nothing but a working tool.

The physical torture that a slave went through was not based on how they were treated in regards to work, but on how they were punished. Most of the time they were beat with a whip made from cow hide, until they bled. They would whip the slaves until the overseer (the person who watched over the slaves) was tired. Other times, slaves were not so lucky. For example, Frederick Douglas, an American slave, told a story that went like this. (Douglas, 34 & 35)

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...tress would convince her husband to sell the child. Women were also denied the right to marry because the Mistress did not want the slave to take time away from tending or nursing her white children so that they could take care of their own baby.

Hopefully I have explained enough of what I have learned about slavery to make you understand the injustice treatments that the black slaves had to endure. When I look back at what I have learned in these readings, I remind myself how lucky we are. We are able to marry who we want, keep our children, and have the right to be respected as a person. Today people whose children are abducted go through probably an unimaginable devastation, and slaves back then were expected to continue life as if nothing happened. It is very sad. Slave men did suffer but in my opinion, women by far had it the worst.

Works Cited

Douglas, Frederick, Narrative of The Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave. New York: Random House, Inc., 2000.

Evans, Sara M., Born for Liberty. New York: First Free Press, 1997.

Jacobs, Harriet, Incidents in the Life of A Slave Girl. New York: Random House, Inc., 2000.