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4 Heartbreaking Stories of Mistreating Black Children During Slavery

Posted byBy Thomas L. Scott | Published on: CommentsComments (2)

(Starved children slaves en route to the Americas)Malnourishment

Pregnant mothers didn’t receive any special treatment compared to the other enslaved women. Food rations were the same and being pregnant didn’t spare them any mercy at work or from punishment. Infants were often weaned within three to four months.

Excerpt on eating habits from “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave”:

“Our food was coarse corn meal boiled. This was called mush. It was put into a large wooden tray or trough, and set down upon the ground. The children were then called, like so many pigs, and like so many pigs they would come and devour the mush; some with oystershells, others with pieces of shingle, some with naked hands, and none with spoons. He that ate fastest got most; he that was strongest secured the best place; and few left the trough satisfied.”

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