What have we already learned about enslaved African Americans?

Let's create a tree map in your SS notebook to add to as we learn about all 6 classes this week!

Social Classes of theAntebellum (Before the War) period

There were many different classes of people in South Carolina during this time period. Some people had very rough, unfair lives, and others were very rich and had lots of privileges. All of these people had very different lifestyles. Can you predict what type of life each class had by looking at the name?

EliteMiddle Class

Independent FarmersLower Class

Free African AmericansEnslaved African Americans

Plantations

Small Farms

Where did the slaves live before they were captured and brought to the United States?

West Africa and the West Indies

Slaves were captured in West Africa and the West Indies and brought to the United States. The slaves traveled on unsanitary crowded ships, and they were often transported in chains so they couldn't escape. They were auctioned off in slave trades to the highest bidder, and were often separated from their families forever. Whoever bought them took them home and forced them to work without pay.

Lower Class Free AfricanAmericans

Enslaved AfricanAmericans

Independent Farmers

Middle ClassElite

owned 20 or more slaveshad a skill or talent

unpaid labor

uneducated and unskilled

owned a small farm

lived in cities and towns

lived in one room cabins

owned large plantations

attorneys, physicians, merchants

involved in government

owned few slaves for housework

farmed on rented land

children had to help farm

worked with their slaves in field

could not read or writepaid taxes to be free

tried to buy family's freedom

farmed in the upstate

private tutors for children

We are going to create a class tree map out of the slips of paper I give you. When you know which class your piece of paper belongs to bring it up to our chart and we will glue it on.

Use your notes if needed.