Introduction
American history, culture, and society have all been significantly impacted by the institution of slavery in the country. Its repercussions cannot be fully understood without a closer look at the interaction between enslavers and those they claimed as their property. The lives and well-being of those held as enslaved people were directly impacted by the enslavers’ shifting wealth and financial situation. The author Tiya Miles’ book “All That She Carried” offers concrete illustrations of how the economic and social realities of slavery shaped the experiences of both enslavers and enslaved people. This essay will explore how the changing fortunes of enslavers affected the lives and well-being of the people they claimed as human property, drawing from examples provided in the book.
Living Conditions Shaped by Enslavers’ Economic Decline
The physical living conditions of enslaved people were among the most critical ways in which the shifting fortunes of the enslavers affected their lives. When enslavers had financial difficulty, they frequently cut costs by giving the individuals they owned little to no food, clothing, or shelter. The enslaved population experienced an upsurge in cases of starvation, disease, and mortality as a result.
Miles tells the tale of Emma, an enslaved woman who was made to reside in a small, filthy place beneath her master’s stairway in “All That She Carried.” Emma’s living conditions directly resulted from her enslaver’s financial difficulties, which prevented him from providing her with proper accommodations. Such conditions were not uncommon for enslaved people, especially during times of economic hardship for their enslavers.
Family Separation as a Consequence of Financial Hardship
The shifting fortunes of the enslavers also impacted the ties between enslaved people and their families. When enslavers had money problems, they were more likely to sell their slaves, even their parents and children, to make money. In enslaved societies, this resulted in severe emotional distress and upheaval of the social and familial systems.
In “All that She Carried,” Miles recounts the life of Rose, a woman who was frequently traded away from her family. These divisions, which Rose and her loved ones experienced as a direct result of her captors’ financial difficulties, caused a terrible sense of loss and dislocation. The experience of being forcibly separated from one’s family was a common one among enslaved individuals, and it had devastating effects on their emotional well-being and social connections.
Scarcity of Basic Necessities Among the Enslaved
Access to necessities like food, clothes, and shelter had a significant impact on the enslavers’ shifting fortunes and financial situation on the lives and well-being of enslaved people. To save money, enslavers who were having financial difficulties often gave their slaves subpar food, clothing, and housing. As a result, enslaved people usually suffered from malnutrition, poor clothing, and living in confined, unhygienic surroundings. The account of Cate’s sister, who lived in a small, unventilated shack with minimal access to food or clean water, is one example of an enslaved person who was made to live in appalling conditions because their enslavers were financially strapped in Miles’ book.
Increased Violence During Economic Downturns
Additionally, the degree of violence and cruelty that slaves endured depended on the wealth and social standing of their captors. To exert control over their human property, enslavers were more prone to physical punishment when experiencing financial difficulties. As a result, there was more violence, including beatings, whippings, and other physical abuse. Miles tells the tale of Cate, an enslaved person who, at a time of economic difficulties, was subjected to terrible physical and psychological abuse at the hands of her captor. Her enslaver’s financial troubles, which caused him to see his human property as disposable and interchangeable, were a direct cause of the violence she had to endure.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the lives and well-being of the enslaved persons who were claimed as their personal property were significantly affected by the enslavers’ shifting fortunes and financial state. The financial and social standing of the enslavers had a significant impact on how the experiences of the enslaved people were shaped, including their living situations, social and familial interactions, and the amount of violence and abuse they endured. The examples given in Tiya Miles’ book “All That She Carried” demonstrate how intertwined the economic and social realities of slavery are and emphasize how crucial it is to understand these dynamics to appreciate how slavery has impacted American history and society truly.
Reference
Miles, Tiya. 2021. All That She Carried: The Journey of Ashley’s Sack, a Black Family Keepsake. New York: Random House.