Slavery and the Making of AmericaPicture of a plantation house near Social Circle, Georgia
Time and Place Slave Memories Resources The Slave Experience

The Slave Experience: Living
Intro Historical Overview Character Spotlight A Year in the Life Personal Narratives Original Docs
A Year in the Life: Pages from a plantation account book Living Conditions
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Given afternoon off

After Sundays, Saturday evenings offered the most likely opportunity for slaves to enjoy leisure time. For female slaves it was usually a time spent doing laundry. On the Eustatia Plantation, having Saturday evening off seems to have been a special allowance rather than an established occurrence. During the same week that the overseer gives the Eustatia slaves this time off, he also mentions distributing tobacco among them. The overseer may have been rewarding the slaves for their efforts, motivating them to continue their good work, or offering gifts in hopes of gaining their loyalty and obedience.
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