Nature of Slavery in the Chesapeake Region

Nature of slavery in the Chesapeake region

In 1716 to 1733, the region of the Chesapeake Bay gave rise to the first ironworks in the south. The American colonies were ranked the world's number three in producing raw iron by 1775. Slaves were the main source of labor force at the southern iron industries. In fact, slavery participated positively towards the growth and the development of the industry. The reliance to slaves for labor force continued in the iron industries until slavery institution was brought down by the Civil War.

Actually, it was difficult to accurately determine the number of slave ironworkers in the entire labor force. This was because, there were those owned by the ironworks and others were just hired from slave owners in that region. However, slave labor was greatly relied on by the majority of the region's colonial ironworks. Moreover, slaves were used by the ironmasters in all occupations. This was evident in 1753, when Dr. Charles Carroll, the Baltimore Iron Company's manager advised an ironmaster to look for Young Negro Lads to work with the smiths. The master was also advised to look for a group of slaves who would fill the Furnace stock.

The slaves' treatment in the iron plantations during the colonial period was a mystery. A conviction was stated by Dr. Carroll in 1732 that, no slave was to be trusted and they were to be kept under strict conditions. He also stated that all the slaves should be monitored in all actions they under took. This was after the manager realized that both the blacks and the white slaves had created the tendency of escaping from the Iron Works.

In addition, Ironmasters had the ability to inflict punishment physically to any slave worker who caused troubles. Resistance limitation to mild forms like working carelessly and work slowdowns could result in hindrance of the common operations in an iron industry.

Contrary, majority of the ironmasters in the eighteenth century implied better sophisticated ways of disciplining the slaves other than brutality and the tough conditions. This new criteria was brought in place by a brother of one slave owner. He had had hired his bondsmen to work in a Furnace in Ridgely iron industry kin the Northampton.

According to the brother, the slaves would leave the ironworks to their owners freely and they were not to be punished. Despite that, if the slaves failed to respond well to the ironmaster and his leniency, punitive methods were then to be applied. But, the punitive measures only applied when the slaves went contrary to the positive ones.

During the colonial ironworks, only the skilled slaves earned extra pay. This was a technique applied by ironmasters to motivate the workers. They referred it to as overwork system. Boy Jack, a founder at the Elk Ridge Furnace, earned a reasonable amount, as from the 1760s to the 1770s, for his ability in practicing craft beyond