Cotton Plantations
In the late 18th century, with the land used to grow tobacco nearly exhausted, the South faced an economic crisis, and the continued growth of slavery in America seemed in doubt. Around the same time, the mechanisation of the textile industry in England led to a huge demand for American cotton, which a large number of settlers in America grew. To grow cotton and to pick, gin (remove the seeds from raw cotton fibre) and bale it took a great deal of work. Therefore large numbers of slaves were purchased to do this work. Within a few years the South would transition from the large-scale production of tobacco to that of cotton, a switch that reinforced the region’s dependence on slave labour. In 1803 alone, over 20,000 slaves were being brought into Georgia and South Carolina to work in the cotton fields, and it was to a cotton plantation in South Carolina that my journey next took me.
On arrival, Mr Gooch, a cotton planter, informed me that much of his cotton was exported to Britain where the invention of the Spinning Jenny, the Water Frame and the Power Loom had rapidly increased the demand for raw cotton. The industry had become a vital element of the South’s economy and Mr Gooch was adamant that slavery was a justifiable necessity for his labour intensive plantation and the well being of the South. He invited me to observe the successful running of his plantation system where slaves were in the field from sunrise to sunset and at harvest time they did an eighteen-hour day.
On arrival, Mr Gooch, a cotton planter, informed me that much of his cotton was exported to Britain where the invention of the Spinning Jenny, the Water Frame and the Power Loom had rapidly increased the demand for raw cotton. The industry had become a vital element of the South’s economy and Mr Gooch was adamant that slavery was a justifiable necessity for his labour intensive plantation and the well being of the South. He invited me to observe the successful running of his plantation system where slaves were in the field from sunrise to sunset and at harvest time they did an eighteen-hour day.
An insight, from a slave’s perspective was given to me by Moses Roper, who Mr Gooch purchased to work on his cotton plantation. Moses had a revealing tale: “Mr Gooch put me under a strict overseer, gave me allowance of meat and bread, not half enough for me to live on, and demanded very laborious work. Here my heart was almost broken with grief at leaving my fellow slaves. Mr Gooch did not mind my grief, for he flogged me every day, and very severely. In summer, when cotton was ready to hoe, he gave me work, which I could not get done, not having worked on cotton farms before. When I failed in my task, he commenced flogging me, and set me to work without any shirt in the cotton field, in a very hot sun, in the month of July. In August, Mr Condell, his overseer, gave me a task at pulling fodder. Having finished my task before night, I left the field. The rain came on, which soaked the fodder. On discovering this, he flogged me. This is the first time I attempted to run away, to avoid further harsh treatment. I was then thirteen years of age. I ran into the woods half naked. I was caught by a slaveholder who put me in jail. When they put slaves in jail, they advertise for their masters to own them. But if a master does not claim his slave in 6 months, the slave is sold for jail fees. When the slave runs away, the master always adopts a more rigorous system of flogging. After this, having determined from my youth to gain my freedom, I made several attempts, was caught and got a severe flogging of up to one hundred lashes each time. Mr Gooch was a very severe and cruel master, and his wife still worse. She used to tie me up and flog me while naked.”