House slave facts for kids
A house slave was an enslaved person who worked and often lived inside the home of their owner. They did many of the same jobs as other domestic workers throughout history. This included cooking, cleaning, serving meals, and taking care of children. However, because they were enslaved, they could face very harsh treatment.
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Enslaved People in Ancient Times
Many ancient civilizations had enslaved people who worked in homes.
Enslaved People in Ancient Greece
Studying slavery in Ancient Greece is complex because there were many different types of enslaved people. These ranged from those who were fully owned (like property) to others who were more like farm workers tied to the land, such as Helots and Penestai.
In Athens, there were several kinds of enslaved people:
- House slaves: These individuals lived in their owner's home and worked there, on the land, or in a shop.
- Freelance slaves: They did not live with their owners. Instead, they worked in their owner's shops or fields and paid them a share of their earnings.
- Public slaves: These enslaved people worked for the city as police officers, secretaries, or street-sweepers.
- War captives: These were people captured in wars. They often did hard, unskilled jobs, like rowing on ships or working in mines.
Enslaved people who were born in the owner's house (called oikogeneis) often had a better position. For example, they might be trusted to take children to school. They were sometimes called "pedagogues," which originally meant someone who led children. In most Greek cities, a child's status came from their mother. So, if a mother was enslaved, her child was also enslaved.
Enslaved People in Greek Stories
A house slave appears in the famous Greek story called Meno, written by Plato. In this story, the slave boy, who knows nothing about geometry, learns from his mistakes. He eventually figures out a geometry problem. This is an example of an enslaved person appearing smarter than their owner, which was a common idea in Greek literature.
Plays by Menander also show how Athenians liked to see house slaves. They were often shown as clever and tricky characters. These enslaved people would use their wits to help their owners, get them out of trouble, or even help them find love. These types of stories were also popular in ancient Rome.
Enslaved People in the Americas
Enslaved people also worked in homes in the New World.
Haiti
In Haiti, Toussaint Louverture was a house slave before he led the Haitian Revolution.
Toussaint was born on a plantation in Saint-Domingue (now Haiti). He was known for being a driver and horse trainer on the plantation. His owner freed him when he was 33 years old. Toussaint was a strong Catholic and a member of a Masonic Lodge. In 1790, enslaved people began to rebel. Toussaint joined other leaders and became very important. In 1792, the French government gave full rights to free people of color and free Black people.
United States
In many homes in the United States, the treatment of enslaved people could depend on their skin color. Enslaved people with darker skin often worked in the fields. Those with lighter skin who worked in the house usually had better clothes, food, and housing. They were sometimes called "house negroes" and had a higher status than "field negroes" who worked outside.
Sometimes, enslaved people who worked in the house were related to the enslaver's family. For example, in President Thomas Jefferson's home, some enslaved people who worked in the house were related to his wife's family. The children of Sally Hemings, who was related to Jefferson's wife, grew up working closely with Jefferson's household staff.
The term "house negro" was used as early as 1711. In that year, a newspaper advertisement offered "A Young House-Negro Wench of 19 Years of Age that speaks English to be Sold." In 1771, an enslaver in Maryland compared the lives of his enslaved people. He said they were fed as well as "plantation negroes" but not as well as "house negroes."
Margaret Mitchell used the term to describe an enslaved man named Pork in her famous 1936 novel, Gone With the Wind.
African-American activist Malcolm X talked about the meaning of this term in his 1963 speech "Message to the Grass Roots". He explained that during slavery, there were two types of enslaved people: "house negroes" who worked in the master's house, and "field negroes" who did outdoor manual labor. Malcolm X said that the "house negro" had a better life and might be less likely to want to leave the plantation or challenge the system. Malcolm X identified more with the "field negro."
Use of the Term Today
The term "house negro" is sometimes used today as a pejorative (a negative or insulting word). It is used to compare a modern Black person to such an enslaved person. This term is used to insult individuals, to criticize certain views within the African-American community (especially against Black people with right-leaning political views), and in social discussions.
See also
- Field slave
- Slave breeding in the United States
- Slavery in ancient Rome
- Slavery in ancient Egypt
- Houseboy
- Uncle Tom § Epithet
