TORTURE: ASIAN AND GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES | JUNE-AUG 2013
rape of a white woman, or for rebellion. Other slaves would almost always be in attendance of proceedings at the gallows.” _________________
The slave trade itself was a horrific business, in which slaves were carted around as livestock and sold on public trading blocks. Professional traders made a business importing and exporting slaves between various states and shipping them via steamboat along the Mississippi River. Coffles were used to bond slaves together as they moved from one area to another. These slaves were then sold at the public trading blocks auction style, and men and women alike were often forced to be nude. The bulk of slave trading, however, was done between individuals, allowing for more customized sales and payment by cash rather than credit. Slave price varied widely, based on factors including age, sex, relevant skills, disposition, and overall condition. Prices also varied according to speculation in the price of cotton. A sole right was left to the slaves: the freedom of religion, although this also was occasionally infringed upon by overzealous owners. Catholicism was the dominant religion of the South and many slaves were forced to practice it under threat of beatings. Most owners also preferred ‘good, Catholic’ slaves, as they were perceived to have better morals and be less likely to run away than their non-religious counterparts. In addition to the degrading treatment they received on plantations, slaves were kept in servitude by the horrific nature of punishment for those who stepped out of line. There were traditionally four methods of punishment: the whip, the brand, the pillory, and mutilation.
VOLUME 02 NUMBER 02 & 03
If slaves were particularly rebellious they were sent to the gallows to serve as an example to other slaves. This punishment was most often prescribed for violent crimes, such as the rape of a white woman, or for rebellion. Other slaves would almost always be in attendance of proceedings at the gallows. However, murder of slaves was not ideal as owners would lose money on their investment. They much preferred methods of corporal punishment that were immediate and severe but that would allow slaves to continue working. While limbs of slaves were cut off en route to the Americas to frighten other slaves into good behavior, very rarely was this punishment used in the states because of the desire to keep the slave in good shape for field work. However, limbs unnecessary for hard labor, such as ears, could be readily cut off. Rebellious or dishonest slaves would be put into wooden pillories – wood structures that had two holes for hands and one for the head. This device required the victim to be hunched over and bound, causing extreme pain in the back and knees. Pillories were often in public places to increase the shame of their crime. One ear would be nailed to the wood, and cut off an hour or more later. The same procedure would be done with the second ear. Branding was mostly used to punish and identify slaves who were runaways. The letter ‘R’ would be branded in their cheek to identify them and effectively prevent them from ever escaping slavery.11
11 Guild, June Purcell. “Black Laws of Virginia Excerpts.” Black Laws of Virginia: A Summary of Legislative Acts of Virginia Concerning Negroes From Earliest Times to the Present. Comp. Karen Hughes White and Joan Peters. New York: Basic, 1993. N. pag. Black Laws of Virginia - Excerpts. Afro-American Historical Association, 2004. Web. 10 June 2013.
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