Slave Families

Paper Summary:

This paper examines how the effects on human beings of being regarded as chattel, bought and sold by other human beings at the will of the owner, affected the slaves' ability to marry, establish families, and grow old together. It also examines, though a literature review, how slaves used every means within their power to maintain stable families.

From the Paper:

"However, some slave owners, religious, believed that slaves should also marry (Will, 1999). When formal marriages occurred, they fell into three categories: those officiated by a slave, those officiated by the slave owner, and those conducted by white clergy (Will, 1999). The slaves created a set of rituals for use by themselves, such as the tradition of the couple jumping over a broom together. A former slave from Alabama noted that the ceremonies were simple, but that the slaves took their informal vows seriously: "The ceremony wasn't much but dey stuck lots closer den and you didn't hear about so many divorces and such as that." (Will, 1999)"

More papers on Slave Families:

• Persuasive Essay # 146445 : "Antebellum Slave Families: The Two Parent Household"
• Research Paper # 122391 : "Development of the Slave Family"
• Essay # 71010 : "Slave Narrative"

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