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This advertisement in a Charleston, South Carolina, newspaper, circa 1780, notes that a group of slaves for sale are from the “Windward & Rice Coasts.” This was an area of West Africa where rice was traditionally grown. American colonists had little experience with this crop, so slaves who knew how to plant, harvest, and process rice were very valuable.

earliest days, and after 1790 the South relied heavily on cotton to produce goods. Initially, most slaves were men. For many plantations, young men were the preferred slaves because they were strong and could perform tasks quickly and efficiently. Soon enough, some slave owners found that women were more affordable and more widely available for their fields. In an additional twist, slave owners would also go on to use only black men as skilled laborers like blacksmiths and carpenters, leaving primarily women and their children to work in the fields. Slavery was not considered widespread in the northern states and was abolished in many of them by the early 1800s, but this did not mean northern Americans did not benefit from the practice. Slavery made many northern businessmen rich. Additionally, many of the people who were opposed to slavery in the northern states did not necessarily have moral qualms about it. Some thought it was poor business practice. THE ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY IN SLAVERY Technology was intrinsic in the development of slavery. One important invention saved time and labor. However, it created a

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SLAVE LIFE ON A SOUTHERN PLANTATION