The housing structures and arrangements were used during the period of slavery to define the racial boundaries and exercise power. In Building the dream: A social history in America, Wright (1983) explains the background of architecture and its history in the United States. The big houses, where the masters lived, were built near the tiny cabin. These dwellings for the bondsmen were small, single or double room cubicles with shingle roofs. I agree with Wright that the architectural structure enhanced slavery because of the different housing structures for whites and blacks. Although the slaves were forced to live in small cabins which made their masters easily control them, they used artistry to enhance their independence.
To start with, the housing quarters for plantation or field slaves were worse compared to the urban servants and domestic workers. They were built behind the owners’ mansions to ensure that planter’s household had a pleasant vista (Wright, 1983). I think the arrangement ensured that the wind blew a lousy odor to the peasant houses. The bondsmen had to stay in a filthy place with polluted air. I think that such oppression was necessary to maintain the social status quo between the whites and blacks.
The whites, even those who were poor, believed that the black people were fundamentally inferior. Scientific racism was used to normalize the segregation of the slaves. For instance, it was believed that “they did not suffer pain, whether from childbirth, disease, or beatings, as did whites” due to their physiological make-up (Wright, 1989, p. 43). Furthermore, the masters believed that blacks were intrinsically morally underdeveloped, dirty, and resistant to diseases (Wright, 1989). Therefore, I agree with the author that scientific reasons were used to justify the poor living conditions of the slaves.
For the servants, maintaining their African heritage was necessary; hence, some tried to fashion their dwellings to enhance privacy and control. For instance, black men and women did artistry and crafts, which gave them a sense of autonomy (Wright, 1983). I concede that the author is right that African-Americans privacy was limited by their masters because they kept them busy in the field. The slave’s effort to become independent in their small cabins was not possible since they were subject to obey to what their masters commanded.
Reference
Wright, G. (1983). Building the dream: A social history of housing in America. MIT Press.