What is a overseer in history?


Overseers were the middlemen of the antebellum South’s plantation hierarchy. As such they occupied an impossible position. The masters expected them to produce profitable crops while maintaining a contented workforce of slaves—slaves who had little reason to work hard to improve the efficiency of the plantation.

Secondly, what is the difference between an overseer and a driver? The difference between the overseer and the driver was simple: drivers were slaves themselves. A driver might be convinced by a master to manage the slaves for better privileges. Drivers were usually hated by the rest of the slaves. Large plantations often required some slaves to work in the plantation home.

Also know, what is an overseer in slavery?

On large plantations, the person who directed the daily work of the slaves was the overseer, usually a white man but occasionally an enslaved black man—a “driver”—promoted to the position by his master.

What was an overseer quizlet?

overseer. man in charge of managing slaves on a plantation. breakers. men charged to force strong-willed slaves into submission.

How long did slaves work a day?

Slaves were whipped if they did not work hard enough. During harvest time, slaves worked in shifts of up to 18 hours a day.

What is the opposite of overseer?

Opposite of a person who is in charge of a worker or organization. employee. subordinate. worker.

Who abolished slavery?


What slaves ate?


What did slaves wear?

Shirts for men were generally made of osnaburg (unbleached coarse linen), while stockings referred to either plaid hose that were woolen, loose fitting, and not patterned, or knitted stockings made on the plantation. The majority of slaves probably wore plain unblackened sturdy leather shoes without buckles.

What did slaves do in their spare time?

At the end of the workday and on Sundays and Christmas, most slaves were allowed time to attend to personal needs. They often Page 2 spent this time doing their own household chores or tending their gardens. Many farmers allowed slaves to keep their own gardens, and raise chickens and tobacco during their spare time.

How many hours did slaves work on plantations?


What did house slaves do?


How do you treat slaves?


What were invisible churches?

Invisible Churches among slaves in the United States were informal Christian groups where slaves listened to preachers that they chose without their master’s knowledge. The Invisible Churches taught a different message from white controlled churches and did not emphasize obedience.

How were slaves treated in ancient Egypt?


What was the name of the person who supervised the slaves working on the plantations?

Known as The Diary of Thomas Thistlewood, Thistlewood’s 14,000-page diary provides a detailed record of his life and deep insight into plantation life from agricultural techniques to slave–owner relations. Thistlewood was self-educated and a prolific reader for his time and even more so in British colonial society.

What is the plantation?

A plantation is the large-scale estate meant for farming that specializes in cash crops. The crops that are grown include cotton, coffee, tea, cocoa, sugar cane, sisal, oil seeds, oil palms, fruits, rubber trees, and forest trees.

What was the purpose of the Underground Railroad?
