How Did Masters Keep Slaves Under Control?
The masters had made a full control over the lives of their slaves. They used all the physical tactics and psychological commands to make them obedient. Their greatest weapon against their slaves was strictness and bound ness of the lives of slaves. They had made their lives full of restrictions that they even could not take a single step of their own desire. They used a force against the slaves which created the fear feelings in them. They put an extraordinary pressure on them so that nobody could think anything else except his duties and slavery. They sat the dehumanizing effects of slavery on them which always demanded sympathy.
The masters keep salves under control by making their lives pathetic one. The slaves had to face a lot of cruelty from their masters. Although they do their jobs and duties in a great manner but still they found their masters cursing them in the fields. In addition to this, the allowance which was given to them yearly was another technique used by the masters for keeping their slaves under their control. They were provided with the eight pounds of pork, or its equivalent in fish, and one bushel of corn meal as their monthly allowance of food. Their yearly clothing allowance did not cost more than seven dollars. This small amount of food and clothing made them to realize that they are slaves. Not only was this, the sleeping and awakening of the slaves also in the control of their masters. They had to awake at the sound of daily horn. If someone was unable to wake up than he or she was whipped very badly. No one was provided with a little favor. The beating weapons were always ready for beating and whipping. The masters’ mouths always open for abusing, cursing and slashing. The masters found a great pleasure in beating and whipping of the slaves as it gave them a sense of superiority upon their slaves. The slaves wanted their freedom but they could not do anything. If anyone of them was found in any high misdemeanor or tried to run away than he was responsible for his result. He was not only severely whipped but also sold to another master or other slave-trader just to warn him that he is and will remain a slave. Thus, it was actually the feeling of helplessness which made the slaves weak and their masters strong.
The masters had made the slaves to live in a horrible situation. They did not have their social lives. Instead of provided with the ordinary facilities by their masters, most of their sleeping hours are consumed in preparing for the field the coming day. They went on doing with the same routines due to which they forget the pleasure and joys of their lives. Their lives were full of odds. The masters did not give them the freedom of even a single day. They thought that the slaves are their own properties. According to them the liberty of even a single day to slaves would come against their supervisory. The masters had given them the no quality of life.
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