PLANTATION SOCIETY:

STRUCTURE AND INTERACTION

OBJECTIVES
Discuss how the structures of Caribbean society maintained enslavement through
legislation, race, social and economic discrimination.
 Systems of Control

• 1. Legislation

• Most of the colonial governments - implemented laws to

provide guidelines dictating how enslavers and enslaved should
behave under the system of enslavement.

• Spanish - Siete Partidas

• French - Code Noir

• British - Slave Laws determined by the country island assembly.

Barbados passed the Slave Code in 1661 and a later version in
1688, while Jamaica, Antigua, and St. Kitts passed similar slave
laws later
 European/White

European/White

European/White

2. Social Structure
of Slave Society
• Plantation society was organised in such a way that all
members knew their place, their obligations, responsibilities
and behaviours

• Slave societies were organised based on race and/or colour.

• The lighter one’s complexion the greater power, affluence

and freedoms one had; the darker one’s colour the lower on
the social ladder one was.

• The more European blood one possessed the higher one

was on that social ladder

• The more African blood one possessed the lower one was
the social ladder
Social Structure of A Sugar
Estate
 3. Divisions of Enslaved
Persons on Estates
• Divisions were created on estates to ensure order and
control. This was a hierarchical structure which assigned
specific roles and functions which were determined on
race and colour, job, age, sex, place of birth and physical
ability.

• Skilled Workers: Blacksmiths, carpenters, laundresses,

fishermen, midwives, watchmen and head carters.

• Were mostly men, and many were mixed raced. They

were more likely to receive special privileges such as
additional items of clothing and money.
• Below the skilled workers were field workers, and the majority
were female. They performed the hardest and most degrading
work.

• They were divided into 3 gangs

• 1st Gang: 15 to 35 years. Cleared fields, weeded, planted

canes

• 2nd Gang: 8 to 14 years. Cut grass, took care of estate animals

• 3rd Gang (or pickaninny gang): 6 and 7 years. Attend to

livestock, light weeding, carried water to field workers

• Elderly and disabled took care of infants and prepared meals

 4. Seasoning

• 2 to 3 years where enslaved learned the rules of being

enslaved workers:

• Given new name

• Separated from persons who were from their ethnic

group, spoke the same language etc.
 Punishments and Rewards

• Punishments: whippings, cutting off of limbs and other

body parts, walking the treadmill, being shackled, having
to stand in ants nests, being hanged.

• Rewards: receiving extra items of clothing, job promotion,

rum and sugar, extra time to go see relatives and friends