Were slaves bred?

[Ming]

Even in antebellum US, you had skilled slaves who would be rented out to others.

Generally not field laborers, but some slaves would acquire skills as craftsmen, smiths, leatherwork and the like. These could make some extra money for their masters and sometimes enjoyed a greater degree of freedom than the field hands.

This never became a huge industry partly because racial politics of the time wouldn't have tolerated slaves competing for large slices of the free labor market.

 

[jamhaw]

Technically I don't think any Kenyans or Ugandans were enslaved in America. Not all Africans are the same you know.

Excellent work missing the point.

I.E. that saying modern racists have only their ancestors to blame for black success in certain sports when blacks from other lands were still successful in those sports.

There could have been a stray one caught by Muslim slavers...

Odds are they would have been castrated though.

 

[jamhaw]

Even in antebellum US, you had skilled slaves who would be rented out to others.

Generally not field laborers, but some slaves would acquire skills as craftsmen, smiths, leatherwork and the like. These could make some extra money for their masters and sometimes enjoyed a greater degree of freedom than the field hands.

This never became a huge industry partly because racial politics of the time wouldn't have tolerated slaves competing for large slices of the free labor market.

I think that house slaves were supposed to be fairly well educated.

 

[Ming]

These weren't house slaves for the most part.

They were blue collar workers, not domestic servants and didn't live with the family. Gabriel Prosser is probably the most famous example I can think of.

 

[joak]

I think that house slaves were supposed to be fairly well educated.

Well, Frederick Douglass claims he learned to read in his Baltimore 'house slaves' days . . . by stealing food and trading it on the street to poor kids who shared their lessons with him.

The normal narrative is that Nat Turner's rebellion led almost all slave states to outlaw education for slaves. I don't know the level of exception in practice or in individual states.

These weren't house slaves for the most part.

They were blue collar workers, not domestic servants and didn't live with the family. Gabriel Prosser is probably the most famous example I can think of.

Monticello had a shop of slaves that made nails and other items. There were skilled and very valuable income for the estate.

 

[jamhaw]

Well, Frederick Douglass claims he learned to read in his Baltimore 'house slaves' days . . . by stealing food and trading it on the street to poor kids who shared their lessons with him.

The normal narrative is that Nat Turner's rebellion led almost all slave states to outlaw education for slaves. I don't know the level of exception in practice or in individual states.



Monticello had a shop of slaves that made nails and other items. There were skilled and very valuable income for the estate.

Yes education rules changed following the rebellions. Although of course many slave owners ignored the laws and taught their slaves to read anyway.