Typical rules and punishments
By: Nicole Carroll 7*
Slavery- how it was started
Punishments
Slaves had no rights. This means that your owner could do anything to you. This included harsh and sometimes unnecessary punishments. Slaves would be punished for resisting slavery, not working hard enough, talking too much or using their native language, stealing from his master, murdering a white man, trying to run away, trying to learn how to read, trying to learn how to write, and talking back to your owner. Punishments you could receive is being put into shackles, being put into various contraptions, being chained to the ground, being hung and left to die and lastly the one everyone knows, being whipped.
Rules
There were many rules that had slaves had to follow. These are just some of the many rules. All Free Men are called Master and all Free Women are called Mistress. If you are a personal slave to the Master you don’t have to address them as Master (name). You just have to say their name. Slaves have no belongings or rights. A slave must realize all things can be taken from them, including their name. Slaves are required to ask permission to leave. If no Free is there, the slave will ask three times for permission to leave, they must be at least two minutes apart. Then slave may go. If a slave leaves without permission, they will need to be prepared for the punishments. Slaves will use third person when speaking and when referring to themselves or other slaves. A slave may not use I or me. Slaves can not travel outside the
city without a Free inviting them to go with them. Any slave’s money, from any job that a owner allows he or she to have, is the owner’s money.Treatment of slaves
Being a slave was a difficult life. Families would be taken and put in a cramped, diseased ship, where many died during the voyage. Families would be taken apart when when they are being sold. They would be split and given to different families. After sold, you became someone's property. You had no rights at all. Owners could change your name and you had to respond to whatever they called you. You would have to work up to 18 hours a day depending on the owner. Slaves had poor diets and health and would work in harsh conditions.