Slave Database 1 Running head: LOUISIANA SLAVE

Project #2 The Louisiana Slave Database Danielle Mitchell SOWK 300 Tuskegee University October 13, 2011

Slave Database 2

The Graph above shows the gender of the slaves mentioned in The Louisiana Slave Database. The slaves were put into three different categories which are missing, male, and female. According to the information above some slaves could not be accounted for, apparently how many there were missing is all that could be recorded. However, the assumption that some slaves may have indeed escaped can be made. Another assumption is that the male slaves outnumbered the female slaves. Out of an estimated 100,000 slaves, majority were male. The bar graph above shows that there were about 50,000 slaves that were male and about 40,000 that were female. Those that were either killed or those that ran away, could probably be accounted for in the 10,000 missing slaves. Although there are only two different gender classes, one would wonder if any hermaphrodites were present and if they were what gender were they considered as? One could only wonder since this is secondary data.

Slave Database 3

The data in the graph above is taken from The Louisiana Slave Database. The origin of a person would be considered as ones place of birth. Listed above are only five specific locations and there is also a category of other and identified. One would assume that the categories listed as other and unidentified should have been grouped together instead of two different groups. However, the place of origin would probably be subjective data unless the information was given from the individual themselves. In the bar graph above there are 60,000 slaves that were considered unidentified. Therefore, an assumption can be made that there were several other locations that could have been listed. Considering that majority of slaves were said to have been taken from Africa, there only about 25,000 accounted for in this particular database. As for Creole, there were 10,000 individuals accounted for. In addition, for the categories of Caribbean and there is an estimated one to two thousand individuals listed.

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This particular graph is based on race and some ethnicities given one cannot be exactly sure what ethnicity is being represented. Many of the ethnicities that appear to be in Spanish are a combination of two different ethnicities. Grif for example is a combination of Black and Indian. Mulatto is a combination of Black and White. The definition of Quadroon: an offensive term given to a person with three White grandparents and one Black (Encarta Dictionary). Many questions could be raised by the data in the above graph. The bar graph shows the categories that the slaves were put in by the slave captors. The terms that are listed, but that are not really considered an ethnicity are offensive to those that have the combination of the ethnicities that they refer and with good reason. Not many people are receptive of the names given to them by slave owners or captors. Although in the graph above majority of the slaves, an estimated 90,000 were considered black. Whereas, in the graph that includes the origins data of slaves only about 25,000 were considered African.

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The code SKILLGP refers to the specific skills of the slaves. The individuals that were taken captive and made slaves were intelligent people obviously. Their ability to strive and survive proved that fact undoubtedly. These skills were acquired by slave were taught to them by their forefathers and passed throughout generations, and for many these skills were more than likely their job or jobs in the family. It one pays close attention, one will realize that may of the skills the slaves had are the areas that people work in or have careers in. Although majority of the slaves were listed in the category unknown which is an estimated 90,000, one is sure that many of them had multiple skills. An estimated 10,000 had skills in agriculture and crafts, which were more than likely farmers and the individuals that cooked for the family and made things like quilts and things of that nature. About 12,000 had skills in domestics, which were probably the slaves that care for the house and children. Of the other groups that the slaves were put in we those areas that required them to be outside for example forestry, land transport, and that of one that cares for cattle. As stated before slaves were intelligent people and they were skilled in a variety of areas.

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Summary and Conclusion

Unfortunately for the slaves listed in The Louisiana Slave Database, there were many lives lost. These individuals were taken out of the place of origin for the sake of those that found them to be inferior. Just like anyone else slaves had the capacity to learn and live for themselves. Slaves were merely underestimated of the things that they were able to achieve and taken out of there environment because so. Also captors didnt want those that were taken captive to surpass them in whatever endeavors they decided to pursue.

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Syntax Files

GRAPH /BAR(SIMPLE)=COUNT BY origin /MISSING=REPORT. GRAPH /BAR(SIMPLE)=COUNT BY sex / MISSING=REPORT GRAPH /BAR(SIMPLE)=COUNT BY skillgp /MISSING=REPORT. GRAPH /BAR(SIMPLE)=COUNT BY race /MISSING=REPORT.