Living on a Slave Plantation

Exploring what life would typically be like on an 18th or early 19th century American plantation, generally found in the Southern states, where labor-intensive cash crops such as tobacco and cotton flourished, Living on a Slave Plantation examines how plantations were like small towns--self-sufficient systems supporting hundreds of people. Viewers learn about the inner workings and daily routines of a plantation, from an explanation of the functions of various outlying buildings to a look at common supplementary activities such as clothmaking or blacksmithing. The program points out that since the first American colonies were founded by upper-class English families, the fact that plantation owners lived in luxury while the vast majority of the workers existed in poverty was not seen as an injustice, since it was simply a case of one's social class determining one's position (a somewhat misleading oversimplification of a much more nefarious practice). Too, while the mistreatment of African slaves is mentioned in passing, little is said concerning the morality of slavery or racial issues in general--a fairly glaring omission within the historical context of plantation life (although, it might be argued, such a discussion might be beyond the scope of the subject). Combining re-enactment scenes of people dressed in colonial costumes performing everyday tasks, together with some archival stills, this fairly detailed program also moves at a rather slow pace, making it an optional purchase for most. Aud: J, H. (E. Gieschen)