Enslaved people were forced into colonial society through violence and exploitation. While their experiences varied depending on location and labor, enslaved people had no legal freedom and lived under constant control. Their labor was essential to the growth of the colonies, yet their lives were marked by oppression and resistance.
Daily Life and Responsibilities
In the Southern Colonies, most enslaved people worked on plantations growing tobacco, rice, or indigo. They planted, harvested, and processed crops under the supervision of overseers. Others worked inside the homes of wealthy white colonists as cooks, nurses, or personal servants. In Northern colonies, enslaved people were more likely to labor in cities—hauling goods, making tools, or building homes. Some even worked in shipyards or ironworks. Most enslaved people worked long hours, six days a week, often with little rest, poor food, and harsh treatment.
Limitations and Challenges
Enslaved people had no legal rights. They could not own property, sign contracts, or testify in court. Families could be separated at any time through sale. Colonies passed strict laws called "slave codes" that controlled nearly every part of enslaved people’s lives—where they could go, what they could do, and how they were punished. Any form of resistance, even learning to read, could result in brutal punishment.
Contributions to Colonial Society Despite these conditions, enslaved people shaped colonial life in powerful ways. Their labor built the wealth of the colonies, especially in the South. Enslaved people brought agricultural knowledge, skilled craftsmanship, and cultural traditions from Africa. They built strong communities, practiced spiritual resistance, and preserved languages, music, and family ties in secret. Their strength and survival helped shape the foundations of American society.