Labor and The Civil War - Essay Example

This demands laid in the constitution went unattended since African America slavery grew once again mainly in the southern part of U.S.A. Among the major reasons for slavery reinvigoration were cotton gin discovery and its consequent spreading (Shapiro, 17). Such is the case that this machine permitted southern farmers to cultivate a variety of cotton, short staple, which thrived in the Deep South climate. Even with such an invention, the farmers still experienced another major problem with regard to removing seeds from cotton fibers.

A later invention of the Eli Whitney’s gin offered solved this problem and even made it more economical. Following this, many planters in the south got attracted to cotton growing, a factor that increased labor demand. During this time, cotton growing was labor intensive, and African Americans became the main target to supply the labor. A day in the life of a slave would commonly constitute long working hours on the farm. When considering a field hand, working day would always begin just before dawn and last until the sun sets, usually with a lunch break of about two-hours.

African Americans lacked control over working as they worked under strict supervision, constantly threatened with physical punishment by their supervisors. Indeed, even with the most kind hearted slave owner, the slaves still missed that very fundamental gift of every human being, “freedom” The better part of the period preceding Civil war, majority of the planters employed physical violence not only to boost productivity but also maintain labor discipline (Shapiro, 60). Certainly, the nature of work in the cotton field demanded lots of endurance and slaveholders understood this.

Consequently they employed force and threats of force to persuade their slaves to endure the gruesome demands of cotton growing in the south. Colonial farmers forced their enslaved servants that included the elderly, children and pregnant