9+g.+Division+of+roles+on+a+slave+plantation

__**Division of roles on a slave plantation**__

(a) Planter or his attorney- master of the plantation. Him and his family lived in great wealth and luxury in the Great house which was the most comfortable and decorated building on the plantation.
 * __The Whites__**

(b) Overseer - he was the person who managed the estate and made decisions about crops, sugar manufacture and labour on the plantations

(c) Clerks and bookkeepers. These were usually poorer whites. There were also stock room clers and slave supervisors in this group.

(a) Free coloured- This group was made up of 2 sets of people * the free coloureds who were offspring of blacks and whites (mulattoes) who were automatically born free because they were mixed with white. * free blacks who were former slaves who were able to buy their own freedom.
 * __The Blacks__**

(b) House or Domestic slaves - These were slaves who worked in the Great House for the master and his family. These slaves were employed as cooks, seamstresses, butlers, footmen, coachmen, laundrywomen, maids. They had access to white society, many picked up reading and counting because of being around while white children were being educated.They also had significantly easier work than the field slaves.

(c) Field or Preadial slaves- Slaves worked in fields under the supervisionof slave supervisors/ drivers. The field slaves were divided into 3 gangs. * First Gang -The young and strong, responsible for the hardest work such as holing, cutting and planting.
 * Seocnd gang made up of the sick, pregnant women and youths. They did the lighter work such as weeding and harrowing.
 * Third gang - children and very old who did the light weeding and cared for the animals.


 * __The Value of Slaves__**

(1) Most Value - Artisans or skilled slaves such as blacksmiths, carpenters, masons etc. These were often loaned out to other plantations and worked for pay sometimes. They had more freedom of movement than all other slaves.

(2) Seond in value - Semi skilled slaves such as midwives, watchmen, nurses nd craftsmen


 * __(__**3) Least valuable - Field slaves. Amongst the field slaves there were those who were more important among the slaves themselves such as obeah men or myalmen and medicine men or herbalists.

Hired Slaves. Some slaves were hired out to other plantations to do field and factory work. These slaves were very unfortunate as they had no permanent homes and had to sleep chained together wherever they worked. They usually died very quickly. Artisans were also hired slaves but they were skilled and hence more fortunate.


 * __HOW COULD SLAVES IMPROVE THEIR POSITION?__**

Female field slaves could become house slaves by getting involved with slave masters and forming relationships.

Female domestic slaves could become a domestic slave with little work and privileges also by getting involved with slave masters and forming relationships.

Field slaves, domestic slaves and unskilled hired out slaves could become artisans by training as an apprentice under an artisan and learning the skills.

Field slaves could become more important amongst other slaves by becoming obeahmen, medicine men or herbalists. They would be paid with provisions or favours for their services by other slaves who needed them.