Through close examination of the life of Frederick Douglas and other notable icons from history shed much light on the severe violence and hardship that the African slaves endured. From birth, the young African child is taught his/her "place in life," the place of a black slave in a white man's country. This is accomplished not only through physical living conditions and near death beatings, but also via personal psyche. Relentless psychological damage is sustained from day one, so extreme, that slaves of different owners would often fight for the integrity and honor of their cruel masters. Douglas speaks of the slaves of his master, Col. Lloyd, fighting with slaves of another master for just that. "Col. Lloyd is the richest!" As if being a slave wasn't bad enough, it was worse to be the slave of a poor man.
A young slave is deprived of just about everything, including identity. It was common practice to withhold as much information about a slave from that slave as possible. Douglass makes note of his age. Not knowing his birthday, let alone his birth year, it was impossible to know just how old he was. But he was able to estimate what he believes is within a year or two of his actual age. But it didn't stop here; "who is my father" was another common question, one which Douglass asked himself. Although he did have reason to believe that his master, Col. Lloyd, was his. Children were usually taken from their mothers during their infancy, around 12 months of age. .
Perhaps black women suffered more than black men. If a female slave should be taken to bed by her master, and her master's wife should find out. A more brutal beating may be sustained before possible death. Slaves commonly had their master's children, but never had them very long. It was much easier for a white man to sell his own mulatto children than to endure whipping and beating their own flesh. If a slave should disobey her master, a harsh beating was almost inevitably is store for her.
