women, and the groans of the dying, rendered the whole scene of horror almost .
inconceiveable." (Blacks in America 1619-1790, p.35).
The Africans brought with them a knowledge of agriculture. There were also many .
skilled craftsmen such as wood-carvers, weavers, potters, and iron workers. But the southern .
colonists paid little attention to this and the emphasis was placed on training the slaves for .
plantation work. The vast majority was put to work in the fields. Some became cooks, house-.
keepers, bricklayers, or barrelmakers. Women were often given the responsibility of taking .
care of white children.
Unfortunately, the African slaves lost the bulk of their culture. In Africa, they were .
accustomed to a very regulated family life. Their moral code was strictly enforced. In America, .
the African slaves' family life was primarily dictated by the matser. Slave marriages had no .
recognition in the state codes as did the white marriage. Slave marriage vows sometimes .
proclaimed, "Until death or distance do you part." (The American Pageant, p.369) Slaves on .
larger plantations had a better chance of avoiding the forced seperation of families as did those .
on smaller ones.
Despite all of the obstacles placed in their way, the African slave was somehow able to .
blend part of their culture with the American culture, thus forming their own distinctive culture. .
Much of Africas' cultural activity centered on the family and ethnic groups. In America, the .
slaves managed to sustain a family life. Most were raised in stable two parent households, but .
the family had no great importance as an economic unit. The husband was not the head of the .
family, the holder of property, the provider, or the protector. The slave woman was first a full-.
time worker for her owner, secondly a wife and mother. Parents frequently had little to do with .
raising their children. "Lacking autonomy, the slave family could not offer the child shelter or .
