1)

Slaves didn't have official papers to tell of their age. They were intentionally kept

ignorant by their masters and reprimanded for even asking. It went against propriety to ask. It,
more than likely, was probably another way of impressing inferiority upon the slaves.
Douglass is, speculatively but probably so, a product of the procreation of a slave and her
master. His mother is Harriet Baily. His father, probably, was Aaron Anthony; Aaron Anthony
was his master. This was a typical phenomenon, for a slave to be impregnated by their master.
Subsequently, regardless of the father, the mother and the child would be separated. Although
Frederick and his mother were separated, she would come, at the risk of a whipping and being
late for her early duties, to see him late nights to be with him at night after traveling 12 miles to
see him. She died when he was 7.
Another notion mentioned, though not directly applied, was that of fathers sending their
illegitimate children of their farms for humane, or conscientous, reasons. They did not want to
have to whip their sons or see their brothers abuse them, so they would often get rid of them.

2)

Slaves could provoke harsh abuses and whippings for a multitude of things. If they are

not on time for their work and caught sleeping or from the field after the horn cries in the
morning, they are whipped. If they ask questions that are out of line, they are reprimanded. Often
times masters and overseers would whip their slaves just for the bloodlust, for the peculiar and
morbid enjoyment of inflicting pain and suffering on another human being. This included the use
of cowskin hides, cudgels, and even an onslaught of curses, sharp words, and profanity. In the
case of Aunt Hester, she was giving certain stipulations to obey, namely not going out at night
and remaining distinct from a certain man, which lead to her being whipped. She was called a
"d---d b---h" profusely. If a slave become unmanageable or attempted to flee, he was usually met

with a whipping and often sold off to be made an example of. This, in turn, alienated him from
his family and any friends.
At times, certain measures were taken to find offense when no one was looking. If a slave
was caught stealing from the plantation, he or she was whipped. One farmer put tar around the
fence of a garden of fruit and if a slave had tar on their person, they were whipped. If you were
caught making utterances against your master, you were whipped. The masters would often send
in spies to discern this.
There is an account of a father and son who were often whipped on mere suspicion. They
took care of their master's stables, and if for any reason he found the horses to be unsatisfactory,
they where whipped. It was a whimsical and unfounded reaction to the master's discontent.
3)

Slaves were given a monthly allowance of food. This consisted of about eight pounds of

either pork or fish. They were also granted one bushel of corn meal. They were not to take from
the fruit of the land, but only eat what they were allotted each month.
They had a yearly distribution of clothing. For a typical, adult slave, they were given
"two coarse linen shirts, one pair of linen trousers... one jacket, one pair of trousers for winter
[made of a lesser quality of cloth], one pair of stockings, and one pair of shoes..." Children
unable to work in the fields were only allotted "two coarse linen trousers per year." They were
deprived of other essential articles and often ended up naked until their next lot.
They weren't given beds, simply a "coarse blanket." They didn't have typical, if any, of
the requirements to cook, bathe, and do other things that you would do in your quarters. They
typically huddled up together on the floor with barely any warmth, all side by side.
4)

One episode is that of an overseer named Mr. Plummer. He would whip and beat

Douglass' aunt while she was tied up and saturated her body in blood. He would not relent even

despite her cries and pleas. Douglass says "the louder she creamed, the harder he whipped: and
where the blood ran fastest, there he whipped longest." He first witnessed this after she had
disobeyed her master. Plummer first stripped her naked. Then, he tied her up all the while yelling
profanities at her; he restlessly berated her with derogatory names. Douglass watched from a
closet as blood oozed down to the floor. Plummer said to her, "...I'll learn you how to disobey my
orders!" Though his orders were simply that she not go out at night, especially to see a certain
fellow, this was an arbitrary stipulation. Plummer demanded complete control and obedience
over Douglass' aunt.
Another instance is of a father and son, old and young Barney. They took care of Colonel
Lloyd's stable. Colonel Lloyd would whimsically beat them for no apparent reason other than his
mood or his perception of the horses. He would complain but never allowed for any response,
explanation, or defense from the two slaves; he only allowed them silence. Then, after his verbal
onslaught, he would proceed to whip them. Not a shred of evidence or ample reasoning was
necessary to administer these whippings. Lloyd demanded perfection where none could be
provided. He expected ideal work and punished the slaves even if. At times, even his sons would
whip these too just for the sake of it. They asserted complete dominance over the slaves simply
because they could.