Dubois - The Negro American Family

The Atlanta University Publications, No.
13
The Negro American Family

Report of a Social Study made principally by the College Classes of 1'909 and 1910 of Atlanta University, under the patronage of the Trustees of the John F. Slater Fund; together with the Proceedings of the 13th Annual Conference for the Study of the Negro Problems, held at Atlanta University on Tuesday, May the 26th, 1908
Edited by
W .E. Burghardt D u Bois

Corresponding Secretary of !he Conference
The Atlanta University Press ATLANTA, GEORGIA 1908
<6
weiblicher Tugend steht bei manchen D l ~ G m m e n in vie1 hoherer ~ c h t u n g als die
typischen sittengernalde vermuthen lassen."

Schneider, on Negroes.
contempt we have been taught to "TZtertain nor experience."

Alexander Harniflon.
for the blacks makes us fancy
many things that are founded neither in reason
<<
athers, husbands and brothers, you are ASstrnmoned to rally around the standard
of the Eagle to defend all which is dear in existence."

Andrelu Jackson to the Negroes of Louisiana in 1814.
B E %
C O P b R l O H T , 1909, B Y A T L A N T A UNIVERSITY
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Contents
Program.of the1Thirteenth Annual Conference Preface
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Bibliography
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Part l Marriage . Study Section 1. Scope of t l ~ i b . . . . Svction 2. Atriva . . . Section 3. S l a v e r y Scxct io11 4 P r e s e ~ C'onjugal ~t Condition r of t h e F a ~ n i l g Srctlo~ 5. ~ T l ~ Size . S e x u a l RIorals . . . Section (i
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Part ll . The Srrt.ion 7 . S e c t i o ~8 ~. Section 9 . Sect.ion 10. Section 11 Srctiou 12. d~ction 13. Section 14.
Home . . . . . . Africa . . . . . Slavery . . . . T h e Country H o m e . . . T h e Villa.ge H o m e . . . . Tl~e City H o m e Cit.y H o m e s of t h e B e t t e r Class . A S t u d y of E i g h t H o m e s . . T h e Evolution of the E e g r o H o m e Economics of the Family . . . . . Africa . . . . Sln\ery . Cit~neral E r o n o l n i c Conditiou . . . . Georgia
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Part Ill The Sectio~ 15 ~. St. ction 16. Sevt.ion 17. Schctio~~ 18. Sertion 19. Hectic111 20. Section 21. Section 22.
Rutlgc-ts Hents Food .
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Part IV The Family Group . . . . . Sectio~r 23 . L)ifferentia.tion of Classes Section 34. T I I PN e g r o Fitinilies of Dougherty County; G a . . . . Country . Sec*tiou 25. T h e Social Life of t l ~ e . . . Srctio~ ?(i ~ . T h e Negro F a i ~ ~ i in l y IYrw Y o r k . . . . S~.ctiou 27 . A S t u d y of Thirteen F a m i l i e s . . . . [Sect ion 20X . Expentli tures uf Laborer.<] Seclicln 28 . C ' o ~ ~ c l u s i o ~ .~ . . . . . . . Index
The Thirteenth Annual Conference

PROGRAMME
Subject: The Negro American Family
First Session, 10:OO a. m.
Presitleut Ware, presiding. Snhject : "The Home." Acldress: 1)r. C;, F. Dickertllau, Field Agent of the Trustees of the Slater Fnud. ~ d h r e s s : hIr. W. T. B. Willialns, Field Agent of the Trustees of the Slater Fund.
Second Session, 11:30 a. m.
Subjert: "Health and the Family." Special Talk to Men: Dr. .J. W. Madison, of Atlanta. Special Talk to Wornen: Miss L. S. Cathcart, of T~lncolnAcademy, S. C.
Third Session, 3:00 p. m.
Eleventh Annual Mothers' Meeting. ( I n rharge of the (;ate ('ity Flee Kindergarten Association), Mrs. H a t t i e Landrum Greeu, presiding. Subject: "The Children." 1. Kindergarten songs, games and exercsises I>y la0 cliiltlreu of the four free kindergartens : E a s t Cain Street-Miss Ola Perry. Bradley Street-Mrs. J . P. Williamson. White's Alley-Miss Ethel Evana. Summerhill-Miss Hattie Sims. 2 . Rei~iarka by visitors. year's work and coutrihutions. 4. Reports of t l ~ e
Fourth Session, 8:00 P . m.
President E. ' I ? . \Tar(,, presidlug. Snbject : "The Negro American Family." P : ~ p e: r Archdeacon E. L. Henderson, of the Dioc8eseof (:eorgis. .Iddress: Miss Jalie Addams, of H u l l House, ('hicxgo.
ERRATUM
P a g e 132.
To t h e table on t h e proportion of studerits p a y i n g their
Preface
I n 1897 t h e A t l a n t a U ~ ~ i v e r s i Negro ty Conference m a d e a n investti. gat,ion i ~ i t , o t,he "Social a u d Physica,l Condition of Kegroes in Cities." w l ~ i c l i involved a s t u d y of 4742 individuals g a t h e r e d in 1137 families, groups, t in 18 different cities. l ' l ~ e s e d a t a were living in 59 t l i f f e r e ~ ~ co~npileclby the United S t a t e s D e p a r t m e n t of L a h o r a n d published in Bulletill ~ l u ~ n b ten e r ; a n d , a s t h e editor m i d , "Great c r e d i t i s d u e t,lie i~~restigator for s t h e i r work." T h e object of t h e i r ~ v e s t i g a t i o n w a s to s t u d y t.lic! mortality of Negroefi a,nd t h e socia.1 a n d family conditions. T h e st,utly of Mortality w a s continaetl i l l 1906 by A t l a n t a Ulliversify pul)lica.tion n u m b e r eleven. Tlie present s t u d y c o t ~ t i ~ ~ the n e s st,ntly of socii~,l contlitions f r o n ~ t h e point of view of t,lle f a ~ n i l y group. T h i s s t u d y is therefore a f u r t h e r caxrying o a t of t h e A t l a n t a U u i w r s i t y plan of social s t u d y of t h e Kegro American by 111eal1s of a n an~i~~ series n l of decennially r e c u r r i n g s u b j e c t s covering, so f a r a s is practicable, every phase of hn1na.n life. T h e object of these stnrlies is ~ ) r i ~ i i a . r i scientific-a ly careful research for t r u t h condncted a s t l ~ o r ougllly, broadly a n d honefitly a,s t h e m a t e r i a l resources a n d inental equipmelit a t comma.nd will a,llow; but, t h i s is n o t o u r sole object : we wisli not ouly to m a k e t h e T r u t h c1ea.r b u t to p r e s e n t i t in s u c h s h a p e a s will encourage a.nd help social reform. Our financial resources a,re uiifo~tullatelym e a g r e : A t l a n t a University is p r i m a r i l y a school a n d most of i t s funds a u d energy go to teaching. I t is, however, also a sea.t of 1ea.rninp a n d a s s u c h i t h a s eudeavored to a d v a n c e knowledge, particularly iu mattet'e of racial contact a n d development, mhicli seeins obviously its nearest field. I n t h i s work i t h a s received unusual enc.oura.gen~ent from t h e scieutific world, a n d t h e published results of these studies a r e used in America, E u r o p e , A s i a a.nd Africa. V e r y few books or1 t h e Negro problem or a n y phase of i t h a r e been published ill t h e l a s t decade w h i c l ~have n o t acknowledged t h e i r indebtedness to o u r work. On t h e ot,her h a n d , t h e financial s u p p o r t given t h i s work h a s been very small. The total cost of t h e 13 publications h a s been a b o u t $14,000, or a little over $1,000 a year. T h e g r o w i n g d e m a n d s of t h e work, tlie v a s t field to he covered a n d t h e delicacy a n d e q u i p m e n t needed in s u c h work call for far g r e a t e r resources. W e need, for workers, laboratory a n d publica.tions, a fund of $6,000 a year, if t h i s work is going a d e q u a t e l y t o fulfill it,s promise. L a s t y e a r a s m a l l t e m p o r a r y g r a n t from t h e Carriegie Inst.itut,ion of Wasliington, D. C., g r e a t l y helped us, a n d t h i s y e a r o u r work w a s saved from suspension by a n appropriation from t h e Job11 F. Slater F u n d . I n p a s t years we h a v e been enabled to s e r v e t h e United S t a t e s Bureau of Labor, t h e United Sta,tes Census, t h e Board of E d u c a t i o n of t h e
English G o v e r n m e n t , rnany scientific associations, 1)lmfessors ill nearly universities, a n d m a n y periodicals nnd revie\\s. M a g all the leadi~lg w e n o t hope in t h e f u t u r e for s u c h i n c r e a s ~ d financial resources a s will enable u s to fitudy a d e q u a t e l y t h i s t h e greateht group of social problems t h a t rver facecl A m e r i c a ?
A Select Bibliography of the Negro American Family

Bibliography
A t l a n t a U n l r n r s i t y P u b l i c a t i o n No. I0--Blbliogra])hy of t h e N e g r o A m e r i c n n . IU05. E d w a r d s . R. H.-Stuclles In A m e r i c a n Social C o n d i t i o n s , No. 2: T h r Negrc] P r o b l e m , 1 N W ( S e e S e c t i o n 41.
Books and Pamphlets

Atlnlitn 1T11irerslty Publicntlons-Mortality a m o n g Negroes i n ('ilies. A t l a n t n . 18W. 51 pp. Hro. Atlwuta U n l r e r s i t y Publications-Socifll and P h y ~ i ~ a !2ondltlon l of Negroes i n Citles. h t l n n t t l . 18'97. 72, 14 pp. Rvo. At.wnter, W i l h u r Olin, ttnd C h a r l e s D n r t o n Woods-Dietnry studies with referrnce to t h e food o f t h e Negroes i n A l n b n n i e in If4116 a n d 1896. Wnshillgton, 1 8 ! 1 7 . 6 9 pp. Rro. (17. S . Ilept. o f Agri.) B a c o u , R r n j n m l n C.-Rtntlstics of t h e c(rlored people of P h i l a d e l p h i a . P h i l a . , 1Xfiti. Bacon, Benjn.min C!.-Ibid. S e c o n d e d i t i o n w i l h s t a t i s t i c s of crinrr. Phila., 1859. 3-24 111). Xro. B n l t i l n o r e A s s ~ l c i a t l o nfor t h e m o r a l a n d e d u c a t i o n a l l l n p l ~ o r a r n e n tof t h e colored , RR. V. Xvo. p e o p l ~ . A n n u a l report. Pd, Hi?, lMd-67. R ~ l t . 1HtiB. B r a c k e t t , Jeflrey Richnrdson-Notes o u t h e progress of t h e colored people of M a r y lnlld s i n c e t h r w a r . Bult., 18!IO. Yti p1). ( J o h n s H o p k i n s University S t u d i r s . Series 8 , Nrr. 7-!I.) #\-I). S u p p l r l n e n t to t h e r j e g r o i n Mnrgland. R u f o r d , h1ra.-l>omestir m i s s i o n s n m o n y t h e plnutrltion X ~ g r i t e s . N . \-., lX!I--7 4 pp. 8-w. O h r s t n u t t , C h a r l e s W.-The h o u s e hehlntf t h e ccdars. Roaton, l!lcXi. Wo. T h e Inurribw of trn(litior1. R o s l o u , 1!101. T h e n l f r o f h i s y o u t h . Boston, I*;!;% 121130. A m e r i r a , . E p p r i n t f r o m t h e Times. L o n d v ~ ~ IXRI. . xlll, (!lo\\-rs. W. Lnirrt-Blnclr 240 [rp. snr. Xro. N a p . Cirndition n f t h e people of color 111 Ohio. W l t h I n t e r e s t i n g nnecdotes. Boston, In;l!l. 48 p p I%mo C : r u m n ~ c l lA , l e x n n d e ~ , - T h e b l a c k \voll~nllof t h e Soul h: h e r n e g l e c t s a n d h e r needs. (~'inctll.,14 pp. 8ro. IIeia\vurn associntion for tllr m o r a l i l l ~ l ) r o v e m e n t n n d educntion of t h e colorcd people. All. Reps. 1867, ISRO, IX7O. W i l n l i n g t ~ o n .Ilel. I)uRois, W. E. %-The Pllilaclelphia Negro. Publicntiolls of t h e r n l r r r s i t y of P t ? l ~ n s y l v a l ~ i nNo. . 14. Philn., 1899. 20, 5'20 pp. I ) i n g r a m s , 3 n1111)s. D u B o i s , W. E. B.-The souls of blflck folk. Clliicugo, IMM. viii, ( I ) ,264, ( 1 ) 111). Svo. Ed\\-erds, Bryan-Hlstory, c i v i l n u d c ~ n ~ n l e r c i n o lf , t h e B r i t i s h Colonies 111 t h e W r s t Indies. P h l l n . , lXOli. 4 rols. Hvo. P o r t r s . Atlas, 4to. F o l d e d tnl)le. E l w a n g , WIII. Wilson-The N e g r c ~ e s of U o l u ~ n h i n Mu. , C!olun~bia,1!I01. r i i , 69 pp. 8vr1. P l u t w . Map. Friasell, Hollis Burke, n.nd I s a b e l Bre\.ier-1Iiet:rry s t u d i e s of Negroes i n rtl.sterrl V a . in 1 H ! O a n d IW!l#. W a s h . , 1 H ! M 4 6 pp. Xro. (72. S. Uept. of Bgric.)
Bibliography
Goodell, Will-The A m e r k a n s l a v e code 111t h e o r y a n d practice. .ludiclnI tlrcihions a n d illustrative fncts. N. Y., 1%% 4 3 pp. 12mo. Hnggood, Attlcus (:reell-Our h r o t h e r ill b l a c k , etc. N. Y., IHIII. is? pp. 121uo. H i c k o k , C.T.-The N e g r o i n Ohio. lIU12-1870. Cleveland. 1XOti. 183 up IYruo. H r d l i c k e , A l e s - A ~ ~ t l ~ r o p o l o g i cinveutigntions ~il on one tl~ousnnd w h i t e nnd coloi.etl children of both sexes, t h e I n m a t e s o f t h e New York juvenile a x y l u ~ n , rtc. N, Y., 189-I Mi pp. Hvo. Ingle, Edwnrd-The N r g r o i n t h e I j l s t r i c t o f C o l u m b i a , J o h n s H o p k i n s Uniwrsi1.v Studies. V o l . X I . Balt., 1893. 1101)p. 8\70. E, A,-Tllc Hnzeleg f n ~ n i l y . P h i l a d e l p h i a , IXQI. J o l ~ n s o n Mrs. , Jones, (:. (!.-The religious i n s t r u c t i o n of t h e Negroes i n t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s . S n r n n nnh. I R I Y . 577 pp. 12111o. K e ~ n b l e ,Fnnny-A j o u r n n l of a residence on a Cfrorgian y l a n t n t i o n . N.Y.. IWR. . 337 pp. 12n1o Kiugsley, M. H.-Story o f W e s t Africa,, IHYB. W r s t African S t u d i e s Travels 111 West Africn. Lnidlnw, Wn.lter, editor-The federation of C h u r c h e s n n d ( ? h r i s t i a n w o r k e r s i n New T u r k Clty. N. Y.. Sociologicnl canvr~.sses, I H ! 1 6 . 8 ~ o .F i r s t , 112 pp., 3d. 116 pp. I,iroru~~.~ Mrs. re, Elizal~rth I).-Zoe; o r tile qurrdroon r l ' i u n ~ p l ~-1 . t t ~ l for r tl~e tiwrs. 1st vol., :Ei pp. 21i vol., %Hi pp. 121110. Muj<vrs,M . A,-Noted N e g r o \\.omen. Cllicmgo, IX!IY. illiller, Kcllg-Race . i c l j u s t ~ n c n t . I!MlX. YO6 pp. Minutes of t h e B l ~ n u i a l M r e t i u g s of t h e Pintionrtl Associatiou of (!olorcd W o m e n . Nos. 14;. 18!V-IM18. Mcllonald, Arthur-Colored c l ~ i l d r e ~C!hicago. ~. 189:L 14 pp. ltimo. Mossrll, Mrs. N. F.-The w o r k o f A f r o - A m e r i c a n women. Phila., Ir)!l4. 178 pp. 141110. Kecdles, Edwnrd-Ten yenrs' p r o g r e s s o r n compnrison of t h e s t a t e nnd condition of t h e colored pec,]tle i n t h e c i t y a n d o o u u t y of P h i l a d e l p h i n f r o m IN37 t o I W i . P l ~ i l a184!1. .~ Negro m o t h e r ' s n,l)penl,The-A poem. London, I&;-? 4 p11. Wo. Negro y o u n g people's (:hristian n ~ l d e d u c a t i o n n l congress. A t I a ~ ~ t1W2. n, T h e I'rijtrd Negro. A t l a n t a , IWP?. IXH) pp. Hvo. O!rusteod, F . L.-A j o u r r ~ e yi n t h e b a r k c o u n t r y . N. Y., 1861. 4 W PI). 1!!11io. Olmstcnd, F. L.-9 j o u r n e y ill t h e sen,hon,rd s l a v e states. N. Y ., 18%. 7% pp. 121110. Olu~sten,d. F. I,.-.I j o u r u e g t h r o u g h Texas. N. Y., 1887. 516 pp. 1Ymo. K ? . ? . Pnyne, Daniel .4.-A t r e a t i s e o n d o m e s t i c e d u c a t i o n . C i u c i n . , I Pollard, E d w a r d A,-Black d i a m o n d s g n t h e r n d i n t h e d n r k e y holnes of t h e Youth. lR5!1. l2111n. N. Y., R i c h m o n d . 1,elgh-Thr N e g r o servant. Boston, 1814. 16 pp. I2rno. Robertson, John-OII t h o twriod of p u b e r t y i n t h r Negro. E d i ~ ~ l m r g Itcld. l ~ . 8 p p rco. Schneider, W.-Uit~ K u l t u r f n e h i g k e i t d e s N e g e r s . F r a n k f o r t , IxHR. Soruggs, L. A.-Wonlen of d i s t i n c t i o n . R a l e i g h , 1893. S I ~ o r i r rAusan , L.-Heroines o f A f r i r a n ~Methociisni. S e n i a . O., IYUI. Hmith, M r s . A111nndn-Autobiograpl~y of A m a n d a S ~ u i t h . ( ' h l c n f i ~lP!M. , Stowe, H a r r i e t Beecher-Uucle Tool's Cabin. 1854. Stowe, H a r r i e t Bereher-ljl'ed. 577 pp. Trutil, Sojourner-Sojourner T r u t h ' s n a r r a t i v e . Bostoii. 1375. I:nlted Htntes Census-Rrfrrences t o t h e N e g r o - A m e r i c a n flimily: 1 U ! 1 0 : Vol. o n Popol;ition, P a r t I : s r x , c o n j u g a l c o u t l i t i o ~ ~ . 16110: Vol. OII Far111s a n d Hollies: o w u e r s h i p . l!lIXI: Vol. 11: Sex, c o ~ ~ j u gcaoln d i t i o n , homes owued. Vol. V, V I : Fnrins m ~ Crops: d ownership. Speclnl 1Zcpor.t~:S t a t isticitl Atlas. Bulletins: No. N: Negroes in t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s by W . F. Wilcox a n d W. E. B. DuBois. Wnsh. l!o.i. 333 pp. Nu. 99: B i r t h rate. U n i t e d Stntex D e p n r t m e n t ( B u r r a , u ~ of L a b o r Bulletins: No. lo. Condition of t h e Negro i n v a r i o u s cities.
No. 14. T h e Negroes ot F a r m r l l l e , Va.: A sociill stud,^. by W . R . B. IJuBois, Fh.D. No. 22. T h e N ~ g r o i n t h e black belt: S o m e social sketches, hy W. E. B. DuRois, P h . I). No. 8'2. T h e Negroes of S a n d y Hprlng, Md. A social s t u d y , by W.T.Thom, PI1.D. e r Georgia, by W. E. B. I)ufiols, P h . D. S o . 3.5. T h e Negro l a n ~ l l ~ o l d of Krr. :+i. T h e PcTegl.oes of L i t w a l t o n , Va.: A sociul s t u d y o t t h e "Oystrr Negro," by Wlllia~n T a y l o r Tholn, Ph. 1). No. 38. T h e Negroes of Clnclalre C e n t r a l F a c t o r y a n d Calulnet Pla.ntation, La.. by J. Bradford Laws. N o . 44. T h e Negroes of X e n l u . Ohlo, by R i c h a r d R. W r l y b t , Jr., B . D . Wrljstrr, NonIt, .Jr.-Effects o f s l n r e r y o n m o r a l s a n d i n d u s t r y . H a r t f o r d , 179:j.
Periodical Literature
Aillzrican Eoonomic Associatlon Publlca.tions: 11: o .1. Rnre t r a i t s n h d t e n d e n c i e s of t h e Negro. F. L. H o f f ~ ~ ~ a A ~ ~ ~ e r iJ ro nu nr n d of Q ~ c l o I o g : y Hpecinl assilllil:rtlon. 8. E. ~ 1 u l o l l s . 7:53!+-:ig. h u l ~ n . l of s t h e Alllrrican .4cndrmy of Po1itire.l Science: % . Yettlcnlent w o r k alllong colored people. C. B. Chapln. 21: : : \ renw: Il~~pussil~io l lft raclnl y a ~ n ~ l g n l n a t i o nW. . S. I\lcOWIey. 21: IMi. Atlo,n t tc: Negroes: W h a t t h e y a r e d o i n g for themselves. 9. J. Barrows. ti7:YS. Mula.tto f a c t o r ill t h e race problem. A. H . Mtonr. 91: I K - B ' J . Intensely h u m a n . T. W. Higglnson. 93:5XX. 1:llanlbers J o u r n s l : P'nnlily life i n N e g r o town. 17: 12. ( ? h ~ . r i t i eReview: s Colored c h l l d r e n 111 t h e Ulstrlct of C'olunll~ta.. H . 1V. T~P\vl.s. 5 : !I&. l'he ~ n a . k e - u p of N e g r o c i t y groups. ( L . Bra.ndt.1 C h a r i t i e s 18:l. The Kegro h o n l e In New York. hf. W. Ovington. 1.5: 25. F r e s h - a i r w o r k arnoug colored c h i l d r e n In New York. h l . \V. O r i l ~ g t o n . 17: 115. c.!llnw ta mqusn : Negroes i n W a s h i n g t o n , D.C. M. W. Noble. I4 : 1%. S o u t h e r n N e g r o women. 0. R. Jeflr.rsol~. I8 : 91. Sociitl life of S o u t h e r n xegrors. W . T. Hewetson. 26 : 295. ~ : d w n t i u n a Illevlew: Soc.in.1 a n d i n d u s t r i a l cnpncities of Negroes of t h e S o u t h . I 5 : M. Lv1111 81 H a n d : T h e new Wrpro \wnl:ln. B. T. \Vrishlngton. I5 : 26t. h-ntion: Soci111prot11~111 in Baltintore, 77 : ,l!l7-% S n t i o n a l Monthly: Advance of X r g r o women i n t h e Routh. L. S Orrick. 81 : 172. Outlook: (inin in t h e life of N e g r o women. Mrs. B. T. Wwshl~lgton. 78 : 271-4. The a o n l a n n n d t h e S o u t h . E. H. A h b o t t . 77 : LIE, 089. Socinl a n d m o r a l d e c e d e t ~ c e of Negro womerl. E. Tayleur. 76 : 266. i h l e r i c a n Htwtistlcal Assooiatlon: T h e Negroes of St. Louls. V I I I . L i l l i a n Rratult. HHIUP~O Kegro II Conference: N ltle reports. IX'Vi-l!M%. S l e t e r F u n d , P r o c e e d i n g s a n d Occnviolml P a p e r s of: No. 9. Hobnun a n d I I o p k l n s : ('olorrd urnmen n f t h e Soutll.

Part 1. Marriage
Section 1. The Scope of this Study. T h i s e s m y is a n attt?nipt to study t,lre family a,mong N e g r o - A ~ ~ ~ e r i c a u s - i t s f o r n ~ a , t i o ui , t s Iionie, its e c o ~ ~ o m i organization c a,ricI its d a i l y life. S u c h a s t u d y is a t once faced by n lamentable d e a r t h of material. There is c o ~ n p a r a t i v e l y litrle exact i n f o r ~ n a t i o u on ninny import,a.t~tpoints. Nevertheless there is perhaps enough to give n t e ~ ~ t a t i v outline e which Inore e x a c t research may later fill in. I n each case a n a t t e m p t has been matic: to c o ~ l r ~ e presnnt ct conditions with t l ~ e African past. T h i s is not hecause Xfzgro-Amn,icausa r e Africans, or can trace all 111111rolren social history from Africa, but,bec:tuse there is a d i s t i n c t nexus between Africa and A n ~ e r i c awhich, tliouglr brokrll a ~ perverted, ~ d is nevertlieless not to be neglected by t h e ca.reful student. I t is. however, exceedingly diffic u l t nncl puzzlirrg to know just where to find t h e brokeu thread of African and American socia,l history. Accurato scientific inquiry lnust trace t,he socia,l history iu t h e s e v e r ~ t e e ~ mcl ~ t h eighteenth cellt u r i w of such Negro tribes a s furnished ~ n a t e r i a l for t h e American slave trade. T h i s inquiry is unfort,unat,ely impossible. W P do not know accurately which tribes w e represented ill America, and we have b u t chance pictures of Negro social conditions in t l ~ o s e times. A ~ s u m ing, however, t h a t the condition of Negro trihes in t h e nineteenth century reflected much of their earlier conditions, a,nd tha.t c e n t r a l a n d \I-est Afriva furnished most of the slaves, sonlw att,elnpt h a s bee11 m a d e to picture in broad o u t l i l ~ e tlie eocinl evolutior~ of the Negro in his family relations. For past. A m e r i c n ~c~ or~ditior~ th s e chief printed sources ol' i ~ ~ f o r ~ n a t im ou n s t be s o u g l ~ for t in tlre v a s t literature of s l a r e r y . I t is diflicult to get ;a, clear pict,ure of t h e f a m i l y relations of slaves. between tlie Souther11 apologist a l ~ d h i s picture of cabin life, with idyllic dovot,iou a n d careless toil, a.nd t h a t of t h e a b o l i t i o l ~ i s twith h i s tale of family disrupt,ion a n d cruelty, a d u l t e r y a n d illegitimate 1nula.ttoes. Setwre~r these pictures t h e s t u d e n t m u s t steer carefully to find a reasonable s t a t e m e n t of t h e average truth. For preseut conditions there are, in printed sources, only t h e Census rel'orts. t h e eight studies of the United Sta.tes Bureau of Labor, t h e previous studies of this series, and a few o t h e r sources noted in t h e bibliography. To supplement this, sixteen s t u d e n t s of t h e college d e p a r t n ~ e n of t A t l a n t a University h a v e m a d e a study of 32 families. These studies a r e based on first-hand knowledge, a r ~ d a r e unusually accura,t'e. They d o not, however, represent properly t h e proport,ion of different types a m o n g t h e m a s s of Negroes. Most of t h e families studied belong to t h e upper half of t h e black population. Finally, to
I0
r e p e a t , t h i s s t u d y i s b u t a s k e t c h w i t h n o p r e t e n s e to\vnrd a t t ~ r r r p t i n p to e s h a n s t a f r u i t f ~ subject. ~l T h e rliain c a u s e of i t s l i m i t a t i o n i s lack of material.
life is f r a g Section 2. Africa. T h e d a t a r e l a t i n g to A f r i c a r ~f a ~ n i l y l l l e n t a r y , r e l a t i n g t o d i f f e r e n t t i m e s a.nd places, anti h a s all d e g r e ~ s of n u t l l o r i t y , f r o m t h a t of h u r r i e d p a s s i n g t r a v e l l e r s to t h a t of ca.reful s t u d e n t s of l o c a l c o n d i t i o n s like E l l i s . I n g e n e r a l i z i n g , t h e u , o n e can n e v e r be v e r y e r r t a m i nof h i e g r o u n d . % & e l gives t h i g ~e n e r a l s u m mary : Marriage i s concluded by purchase. T h i s feat.ure appears, to the suppression of all others, among those tribes w h o accumulate capital by the ownerjliip of herds. T h e pracCice of wife-purchase is found, however, also among a,gricultorists, and a man's wealth is measured by the number of his wives. Polygamy is usual wherever there are means tn s u p & ~ o it,. r t We somet,i~nes find the yonng hridegroorn living in his father-in-law's establishment till the birth of his first child. Only the rnling chief of t,he ctistrict has the right t o take e n y rnan?s cla~lghterwithout the uaua! payment, just as the chief's (laughter m a y select a n y man, who thereby from a peasant beconies a chief. Jlany pretty features are met with in conuection w i t h the conrts1)ip. Among the 3laclis t h e d a a g h t e r first takes the mother into her confidenc~e, and she informs the father. H e fixes the price, and the collple olxy absolntely, v,hether "yes" or "no" be the end of the negotiations. The marriage! ceremonies are almost entirely secular. Oxen a r e slaughtered and there is singing and dancing. Among tribes where good manners prevail, cluring all this time t h e bride never leaves the hut. which her f a t h e r has huilt for her, but its snrrouudecl by her n e w brothers and sisters-iu-taw, who extol t l ~ c.harn~s e of married life. A t t h e sarne time she m a y partake of the mzrriage-feast, but without let,ting herself he seen. T h e following pictnre of a ceremouy iu greater style is given 11y Cameron, F i r s t the l)ritleg~.on~n performed a solodance for half a n h o u r ; and when this was over, t h e I~ride, a girl of nine of ten years old, was placed, wit11 all tile st'ate t h a t could he nlnstered up,oll tllp shonlclers of a wornan, ant1 l ~ o r u c to the danring-l)lace, \vhile a stconrl \yom:llm s11pl)orted her from behincl. T h e tiridegrooin grave h e r t\vo <)r threr t . ~ l ) t l ( : , ~ leaves and lwatis, v-hicli she threw among tlie dancers. l'hen the l~ridegruon? a~iil bride danced toget1lt.r for ten r n i n u t ~ s with very ~~nartrn!y gestures. afterwliirh he snatched her up, anti disappeared with her i n t o his owl1 hut. Tllc. rlanc.illg, yelling, and d r ~ n n ~ ~ went ~ing on all night,
T h r e e p i c t i ~ r c sof Iwtrothal a n d m a r r i a g e may he g i v e n ; tlie first i s a m o ~ ~ t hg e Tshi-speakii~g people of t h e w e s t c o a s t , a f t e r E l l i s : W h e u a girl arrives a t the age of puhertv. usually in the cleveiltll or twelfth year, she is take11 60 the water-side by others of her sex, and wa,slletl. At the same time an offering, consisting of boiled ham, rnashed and 1niset6 with ~ ) d u ~ - ois il, srattcretl upon the h a n k s of t,he stream hy the n1eml~n.a of her fanlily, who call npon the local gods, and inforin them thnt the child 11:~s reaclird a ~narriageatlleage. I n r a p e ('oast the girl is taken to the rock of the goddrss 1ch:ir-tsirew, and there wailied. Aft,er t h e w ; ~ s l ~ i n a g , braceletl cousistiug of one white head, oue black, and one gold, threaded 011 white cord, is lntt on the girl's wrist. These three heads in conjunction are termed
-
1 Innurnerahlr f ~ i r ? tnlcs poiut to the prrrnlrnce of this rule a m o n g ~~riiiritlre Yacrs.
Marriage
11
a h l ~ ~ ~and t n , their Iwil~g taken i n t o use is a sign t,o the Sassur t h a t ils protertiug care is no longer required. I n t h e interior, on such occasions, girls arc, streaked with white. Tile u:rtires seem to Jndge of a girl's fitness for t h e married state r a t h e r hy the development of the 11osot11. than by t h e fact of ineustruatiou haviug cornmir~c:ed;for if it be not developed a t t h e time of perforlning tlre ceremony, they wait ontil i t hecomes so before taking t h e n e x t step, \vlricll is for tlre ~nlrposefor aunounclng her rligihility for marriage to the men of t,he com-' !nullity. The girl is carefully ailorued with all the ornaments a n d tiuery iu the possession of the family, a u d frequently with ot,hers horrowed for the wcasioi~. A silk cloth, in place of tlre ordinary cotton one, extends froill the waist to the ankle, and is carefully arranged over a uea,tly-made att.ohfo, a kind of bustle made of rolled cloth, o n which infants a r e carried, aud which is kellt in position hy I ~ e i n gattached to t,he girdle of beads worn by all f r ~ u a l e s . The silk cloth is kept in position b y a s i l k haudkrrchief, which is tied over it, round the \\.:list. The hair is covered with gold ornanleuts, neckLeta, a r n ~ l e t sand , anklets of gold and aggry I~eads ellcircle her neck, artna, and auliles; and her l)oson~ antl t h e upper part of her I)ody, which is left nucovewti, is marked with white cl:ty in very tine lines. Of course a girl thus at,tired would he a. d a ~ ~ g h tof e r a wealthy fanlily, but e r r ; l the I)oorest l)eople contrive to m a k e some show on these occasions. Thus decorated, the virgin is escorted through t h e streets by a u ~ l n l b e rof young peol~le of her own sex, one of wlrorn usually carries a n open nnthrella. ovrr h e r ; while the remainder sing a song in honor of her ~naidenhoocl, and illform the men that their friend is now of a marriageable age. As the naa n y other Negro race tive~ of the Gold Coast a r e a f a r handsomer people t,t~a.u wit11 which I a111acquainted, antl possess usually s u l ~ e r b tigurcs. and an erectness of carriage which is n o d o u b t d u e to the h a b i t of (tarrying articles on the head, there is frcqnently sonlething very attractive about these ~ O I I U gil.ls, who, in their constrained and gracefal ~ u o r e i n e u t s ,seem o ~ e r f l o w i n g wit11 youth and health. Shortly : ~ f t e a r virgin has thus atlvertised herself, she is married. Perhaps she has p r e v i o ~ ~ s l been p betrothed; but, if not, t,he p u l ~ l i cadvertisement of o ~ t l i t , i o nseldoin fails to produce si~itors. If her c h a r ~ u saurl ~ n a r r i a g e t ~ b lrc the girl's family agree t,o the nl;rtch, t h e a m o u u t to be paid for h e r is handed over t)g t.he suitor, a.nd he a t ouce prepares a marriage festival. R n ~ n , g i nand , othcr i ~ ~ t o x i c a n ttogether s, with tohacco and pipes, a r e sent by him to the family of the bride, for t h e clist:il)ntiun amongst their k i t ~ c m e n a~ld intimate friends, and iu notitication of t h e apl)roacahing happy event. Sonletirnes i t is nullo~~ncetl with greater polnl), 11y nleans of a long t,rain of people, bearing 1)r"visious of all kinds ilpol~ their heads, who parade through the town, singi n g so11fis iu honor of the occasion. These preliminaries having Lwen coml~letecl, the hridc is led to the h o ~ r s eof the bridegroom, wliere a feast is prppared for the friends of Iroth f a ~ n i l i e swho , keep u p a u orpie 1111tillong after the h ~ ~ s l l a n 1185 t l retired to his wife. N e x t murning, if t h e husband be satistietl cor~c:c.rning his wife's purity, h e sljrinkles her over the head, shoulders, and I,rea.;t ~ v i t h a thick l ~ o w d e r i n g of dried c l a y ; and sends hcr to parade the streets, accompanied 11y a rru1111)erof young girls, who s i n g souys in her honor. T h e clay following, her life a s a 111a.rriet1 womau comnleilcer. Shohlil the h ~ ~ s l ) a n c 1.x l ill donbt a s to t l ~ e r i r t u e of his bride, he m a y , 111:der t'ertain col~tlitior~s, repudiate her. 1
p~
Ellis: 'The Thhi-Spei~king Proplrs of thr Ctold Const of West Africa, pp. 254-7.
12
The s ~ c o n d e x t r a c t is from Tylor a n d r e l a t ~ s to t h e Z n l u s :

Many Zulu girls a r e mere flirts, h u t when a girl finds t h a t h e r facher a n d brothers a r e seeking some one to recommend to h e r as a husband, she suddenly disappears, having hied a w a y to her lover's kraal. If the family approves, in a day or two a p a r t y of men appear a t t h e home of the futurc; hride, driving two or three cows. T h e y all a c t in a friendly manner and the v i a i t , o r ~ go away leaving the cat,tle. W h e n the e v e n t f u l day arrives t h e bride and a party of friends set, ont f o r the bridegroom's k r a a l , which, however, they will n o t enter until night, singing and dancing as t h e y go. E a r l y in the m o r n i n g they go to the nearest stream, and ahout noon come 11p and begin a dance, the bridegroom's party looking on. W h e n hoth sides have finished, a cow slaughtered hy the bridegroom's party is given t,o t h e bride's party. At n i g h t the girl wanders aboltt the kraal, followed by the female relatives of t h e bridegroom. S h e is supposed to be trying to r u n a w a y and t h e girls to he prerenting her. T h e n e x t d a y the bridegroom, his hrothers, eisters and frieuds, take their seats in the cattlefold a n d t h e last part of the ceremony takes place. T h e hride rolnes in with h e r part'y of girls, carrying in her hand a $pear. One girl hears a dish of water and a calabash, and another some Iwads. Then, c o ~ n i n gn p singiug ;tud dancing, the bride throw6 the water over her hilsIland. S h e also sprinkles h e r hrothess- aud sisters-ln-law, striking t,he latter, as a synibol t h a t from t h a t time she assumes authority over t h e girls in h e r husband1s housel~oltl. After this she breaks the staH of the ripear antl m a k e s a r u n for the g a t e of the kraal. I f s h e is n o t stopped by a young man xppointed for the pnrpose i t is a great disgrace. and t,he husband has to pay a cow to get h e r back. The marriage rites are t h e n finished. T h e thistl p i c t u r e is from a m o n g tile Torubn-speak in^ peoples of t h e
west coa.st:
When a m a n desires to m a r r y a girl his parents visit her parents i ~ u d make proposals of marriage. If t,hey are accepted t h e suiter sends a present of native cloths antl kola-nuts, and after consult,ing a b~cbtrl,crc~o, a d a y is appointed f o r t h e wedding. T h e n ~ a r r i ; i g efeait is held at the h o ~ t s e of the parents of the l ) r i ( l ~ g ~ ~ ~ ( , n ~ , by a proc*ession of women, who sing a n ant1 t,he hride is ~ ~ ~ n t l n c t there etl epith,zlamin~n. The I~ritleis 1 1 ~i~ t bed I y a female of the I)ridegroum'i t x ~ n ily, who r e ~ n a i n s conc~raledi11 the a p a r t m e n t till t h e hridrproom has joined the bride; after which .she receives the "tokens of virgiuity," and co111i1:gout of the room displays them to the assenibled company. She then carries the111 to the houw ot the parents of the bride, who never attend a dt~ugliter'r wedcling feast, and n e x t mart:ing t,hey are hung on t h e fence for the edification of the public. I u t h i s ahatention of the tiside's parents from the feasting and merry-making, we perhaps find a lingering snrvival from marriage hy ca1)ture. The producer of t h e "tokens" is selected f r o m t h e Pilmily of t h e bridegroom to enr;nre t h a t there is no deception, because the h u s t ~ ; ~ n dfanlily 's has no interest in falsifying the facts, while the wife's family h a s ; hilt virginit: ill a hride is only of paramount importallce when t h e girl has beeu 1)etrothetl in childhood. T h e n ~ a r r i a g e feast is continued on the next day. I t is not uncommon for newly wedded couples to visit some crlrl)satc:d wlirine and (~trel' sacrifices together, a lwactice which, together with tile tixing of the wedding day 11-y a hntrtlrcicu, shows a n illcreasing tlispositioii on the
Marriage
13
part of the priests to c o ~ l t r o l o r interfere with matter!: tlral a r r purel3- sucinl autl quite heyouti tlie domain o f religion.
Of l ~ ~ t r o t l i ae lm s ollg t h ~ n p r e l ~ p l e ,E l l i s s a y s :
of tlie better classes are almost a l w a y s hetrothetl \\.he11 111e1.v cliiltlren. fr~q~ie~i wlie~i t l y infants, the husband i n fuf161~1 t~eing so~netimcs aqrown I~:LII and s u i ~ ~ r t i n ia es hoy. Betrothal confers upou the male all the rights of ir!al-riage except cnusummation, which takes place shortly after the girl a r r i u ~ h at puberty. Since the early age of betrothal makes a n t e - l ~ e t r o t h aunchaetity l a pIi?;sieal impossil~ility, t,lie alxence of t h e p?itnit;tr when t h e marriage ih consn1nm:lted proves t h a t the air1 has heen unchaste after bet,rottlal, t h a t is. ~ acquired an exclusive right to her person, aud after t h c hoebaud i n f t c f u ? ~ had consequently he has a right to repudiatc her. I n such a rase h e may dismiss her, sending a f c w broken cowries to her mother, and t h e girl's family must returu the amount paid for her, aud t h e valne of all presents made; Iwt i t is more us11a1lo effect s conlprolniae. I n this custom of ilifaut child hetrot,lial we prohably find the lie!- to that rnrious regard for ;r~ltc-nuptial chastity f~runtlnut onlj- anlong the trilws of the Slave and (;old cowts, but also among Inany other cirilizcd people iri tlin'erc.nt parts of t h e \vorltl, a1111which certain1)- c a n n ~ he ~ t attrillutetl to a n y fee1iug.s < ) f t l e l i ~ . a ~s~i-~ , ~I c~ r u s h a ~ lend ~ l s their \vi\-re without ctrir~lr~inc.tic~n. and c~ftru merely :IS a. sign of fricudliuess. 111 \Vest Africa v i r g i ~ i i t yi l l a 1,ritle is not valued per se, 1)nl bemuse it is a proof t h a t t h e betrothal has not infringed the exelusire warital privileges of t h e Irclsl)a.ud it! / ' ~ t t v r u ;mid I I ~ I I virginity in a hride is only a valid ground for repudiation whelk t,lle girl hnr heen I~etrotlieda t a tender age, for unbetrothed girls cau bestow favors: u p ~ n W ~ I ~ I I they I please. Thus uo Inan w h o marries a girl without early hetroth:il feels aggrieved if she should prove n o t to b~ a virgin, for n u t i l she is marrird or h r t ~ o t h e d she is perfectly free, and mistress of her o w n actions. . . . A great deal of evidence might be adduced to show t h a t t h e custom of chillibetrothal lends t,n virgiuity being expected in n bride, a n d its ahseure lreiug regarded a s a just. ground for repudiation.1
(+iris
By s t ~ c l icel.einonx t h e A f r i c a n f a n i i l y is f o r m e d . O f t l ~ e r i g h t s tl:us says, referring to the Yorubas: o l ) t a ~ l l e tEllis l H,y marri;lgr the man arquires t h e services of h i s wife in domestic affairs and an exclnsivc r i g h t to her elr~brares. T h a t is, she m a p not have interronscnt, h i t there i- no course with other Inen w i t l ~ o u this knowlcdye a , ~ i d ol1je1.ti1111 1.0 his waiving his r i g h t in fa\-ur of some other persou, 'utl men sometimes lend Ilieil: w i r e s to their guests or friends, though InlJre freqllentlp their colicul~iuen, for ill a household thcre a r e hot11 n-ires aud c o n c ~ ~ l ~ i u e tf,? .i, latter nsuall?; 1)eing slaves. Each wife has h e r own house, situated in t,hr "(10311p01~1~d" of the hnsl~arld, aurl her owu slaves a n d depeildants. T h e \vif(, first. ~narricclis t h e head wife, aud is charged with the pre6ervation of ortler alnollg the women. S h e is styled I y n k ( I y z ile), "Mistress of t h c house." Tlle julliclr wives are called I y c ~ i c v( I y a omo), "Trade-n7ives," or "\Vivrs of cc,mIllerce," probalrly 11eca11se they sell ill the markets.
I i ' a ~ ~ ~~ i .le pitai o n s i l i ~ ~ in s A f r i c a a.re u s u a l l y tr.acv4 t h r o u y l ~ tl~e f~n~a.lt. line, a s u r v i v a l of t h e o l d e r m a t r i a r c h a l fa.mily. F ~ w n it h i s t h e r e is g r a d u a l c h a n g e t,oward t h e f u l l e r pat,riarcllal t y p e . E l l i s sa,ys of the Yurot~t~ :. s
1
Ellis: Yurubn-~jrenkiiigF'eoples, &c., pp. 153-4, 154-lbH.
14
W e tind a g r e a t c h a n g e f r o m the r u s t o l n s of t h e o t h e r t r i b a l groups of this falrlily of uatious, in the 1 - o r u l ~ a m a n n e r of t r a c i ~ ~ cledceut g and hlood relatl,)n;iliilr; deaceut a n d c o n s : ~ u g u i ~ t being it 11o longer reckoned exclusively i l l tlic f e m a l e line, with succession to c l ~ i e f d o moffice, , a n d property f r o m Ilrotlier to hrotlirr, a n d t l l e t ~to sister's s o n ; hut in t l ~ e i n d e line a s Ear as st~c:ces;ion to cliynities is coucernrd, a n d o n I ) o t l ~ sides of t h e house for blood tlcsceiit. T h e Yoruha fnniily-using the word f : ~ n ~ i l ay s m e a n i n g a groul) of L d i f f e r e n t orpaiiizapierions \vho a r e united b y ties of blood-in t h l ~ sq u i t e : tioii to t h a t w l ~ i c h we fouittl e x i s t i n g arnoiig the T r h i aiid Ewe t,rihes, where a f : i n ~ i l consists ~solely of persous w1io a r e connected b y ttterine ties, and iu sarne hloocl m a y ~ i o t niarry, t h e f a t h e r is never which, a s tn.o persons of t l ~ e ~.rl:ttecl l ~ y blood to his children, and is not considered aq helonging 1'0 the is u te h e test of IL~lootl-relafamilj-. 111 the Tshi ant1 E w e trihes tlie c l : ~ ~ i - i i a ~ tionship, and a s p r o l ~ e r t yfollows the l a w s of blootl-dcscent, it ensues that line, a Imoperty (!ever goes o u t of the c l a n ; for, with tleii:eut i n the f e m ; ~ l e fninily is o n l y a s m a l l circle of lrersous, all of w h u m b e : ~ rt h e r a m e ctl:jn-iiaine, w i t h i n t h e larger circle of the c l a n itself. AII~Ot Ih Ie~Torulia trihes t h e Irlood-tie hetween f:it,lier a n d child has been rrcognizetl, and t h e res111t of this r e c o g i ~ i t i o nh a s I~eetit h e i n e r i t a h l e dowuf a l l of t h e clail-system, \\-hich is o n l y po+il)le so long a s descent is traced $olelv 011 one side of t h e house, a s m a y he readily s h o w n . Siuce two persons of t l ~ edame clan-name m a g , iincler tlie c l a i i - s y a t e n ~never , m a r r y , i t follows t!rat linsband a 1 ~ 1 wile illuat he of different c'lans. L e t us s a g t h a t one is e extetlded to all who a r e of a Dog a n d t.lie o t h e r a 1,eol)arcl. T h e c l a n - t i a , ~ nis tlie saiiie hloocl: therefore, directly t h e blood relntiouship between father atid child comes to 11e acl;iiirwledged, the chiltlreii of siich a pair as we have snl)lx~se(l, instrnil of I w i ~ i g ,a s heretofore, s i m p l y Leopards, woulcl he l h y Lfwl~arils,a i d woi~ltl l ~ e l o n gto two clans. T h e y in t u r n niiglit m a r r y \\.it11 p'rso~~ s is ~nilarly 1)elutipinp to twv (.lam, sag Cat-Sn:ikes, a n d the offsprings of tlre,s* u n i o r ~ swoultl i)eIonp to four claus. T l ~ e clau-systeiii t,lius Irec!on~ea :rlil~getller ~ ~ n \ v o r l i : ~becs.nse, t~le, :LS t h e n u m h e r of c l a n s is limited ailti c:aunot t w adtled to, i f the c l a n tianir *till remained the teat of 1)lootl-relationsliil, and il I)nr to uiarriage, t h e result in a few g e n e r a t i o n s would 1 w . t h a t 110 inarri:~ge.; the c l a n - n a ~ ~ ceasrs ~ e to I J t ~l ~ r test of c o ~ i v ~ l I l s s i l l e . ('onseclue~itly i m g u i ~ i i t ykiualiil) , i* tr:~cetliu some o t h e r Tvaj-, and t h e clan-system tlis:il)I)r:l,r-:: o r , : ~ s :Ll)yearz t n i ~ a \ Iieru - ~ o(Y%sinll:~llyt h e i'ase,descrnt is tloldlp t ~ : i l l s f~.i.~.r utn l t o tlic. malc line, :in,l tuarriayr iu tlie I:lther's c-lau is proliil)itetl, t l ~ : ~ t of the niother. Iwitip i g ~ i o r r t l . The 1-ornl)ns have :rtlol)ted \ v l ~ : ~ allpears t to 11:ive lreen the usual course, : ~ n d blodil 1.elatiq111~11ip is u o w tr:~~:etl hot11 1.111tlic t':ithrr's a ~ ~ on c l the ~ i i o t l i e r 'side, ~ a s f a r as it c a n he r e m e ~ n l ~ e r e tatitl l , Inarriage w i t h i n the know11 circle of c o u s a n p n i n i t y is fort)idtlen. \\-lien we consider t h e extraorclinary vitality the s y s t e m of tlcccent tlirouyli rnntliers possesses, so l o n g as i t is undist11rl)etl I I foreign ~ i~ifluence,it seems l w o l ~ a l ~ lte h a t the iickuowledgment of a father's trloud-t.elatioiirliiip to his ~l~ildre was n I~rouyht a l ~ o u by t the intercourse of tlie ~ i o r t h e r n ' 1 7 ~ ~ r ~ i\\.it11 has t h e hlolianiuietlail t,riher; of t h e interior. T h a t tlie 'l'urulms fnrlncrly had t h e s y s t e m of female descents is k110n.n by all :itlcient p r o r e r l ) , w h i c l ~ r a y s , "Tile esno (pazelle), claiming re1:~tiot;ship with tlie ekulii (:i l a r g e antelope), s a y s Iiis 1111,tlier\\.as t h e (laughter of an ekulu." If t h c illale aj-strun of deacentr h:ltl heell in r o g u e w h e n t h i s proverb W':IS itiventetl, the esuo woi~ltlI i : ~ v ( ~ Ireen lnatle to say t h a t his f : ~ t l l t ! m:rs ~ the so11of ail ekulu. illoreover, in spite of legal ;inc4vession f r o m f a t h e r to son, c ' h i l ~ l r c ih ~y t l i f f e r r ~ i ~ t t ~ o t h e rbltt + , I,$ tllc s a m e f a t h e r , a r e I)$ Inally natives still s c ~ a r ~ . t ~ coiisirlcxd ly t;we hlood r r 1:i tions.
Divorce
I t is uo ~1o11l)t ill consequence of tlie change from k i n s h i p iu t l ~ e female l i u e to kin+hip OII both sides of the house t h a t the family l ~ a s h e c ~ ~ mto e , a certain extent, disintegrated. On t h o Gold ( b a s t , where the uterine family is tlic. only one known, the fanlily is collectively responsible for the crimes or irijories to prr?ons or property c,o~nrnitted by ally of its tneml~er?, and each tnelnher is l i a l ~ l e for a prol~ortiorlof the compensatiou to he p:~id. Similarly, cacli metnl)er is elltitlet1 to s h a r e the compensation received for injury to the person or 1)roperty of one of the me~nl)ers. T h e head of the family can, if t h e necessity shonld arise, pawn, autl ill some cases sell, a juuior ~ n e m h e r w ; hilr, on the other hand, thc junior m e ~ n h e o s h a v e a r i g h t to lie fed and clothed l)y the heat1 of the family. rlmong t h e T o r u b a tribes there is no rollertive responsil,ility in a family, except t h a t parents a r e responsible for crimes cornlnittctl 11y their c l ~ i l d r e n ;t h e head of the family cannot p a w n the younger meml)er.s,the latter c a n n o t claim, a s a matter of right, to be supported 11). 11irn. \Then a Inan dies his sons dividc all his property l~etbveeu them. T h r daughters have no inhcritancp in tlieir father's h o n s e , b i ~ tthey divide I ~ e t w e e u tlieni the property of their m o t l ~ e r , for here, a.s with the T s l ~ i , \.a xutl E v e tribes, t h e prol)ert?- of a wife is a l w a y s separate :tnd distinct fro111 t h a t of hcr husl)al~tl. If a man h a s u o sons his propert.)- falls to his ),rothers, or, i l Ilr h : ~ s no I)rotlicrs, to his sisters. F r o m these Inws of inheritance there is n c ~ d e l ' a r t ~ ~ rand e , a m:in c a n n o t disinherit a legal heir. A mau can, w i t h i n certail1 limit?, givr away property d n r i u g his lifetime, l~rovicledit is purely 1)er; but, he caunot m a k e a will, or a n y arraugesonal and not family I ~ r o p e r t g m r n r for its dis1)osal after death. Succession to property entails t,l~e obligation of defr:iying tlic debts of the deceaaed.1 M a r r i a g e s m a y b e d i s s o l v e d I,y clivorc,e. R a t z e l S R . ~ S : Dissolntion of marriage is not. o n l y rendered difficult by tlie b~isiness thread which runs throuc.Ii tlie 13a11dof wedlock, h u t a p a r t from this, it cwlnes into relati011 \\.it11 legal inxtiti~tions. Divorce is rare a m o n g t,ribes w h o lead a siml~le life uuclistorlxcl; n o r is a d n l t e r y so frequent a m o n g theln as among those wlio ha\-e accumitlated capit,al, possess nnmerons slax-es, : ~ n d 11:~re come into closer contact with Arabs or Europeans. Rnt, even among these a marriage is uot tlissc~lved without furmality, as m i g h t appear on snperticial 011serratiou. .11nonp the corrupt tril)es of the Gold C'oast, ouly 1 ~ r i ~ c . e i s e have s the privilege of separating from tlieir Iiushands \vithout coming hefore a t r i h n a l . Some white clay, handed over by the hnsbatttl, serves as a sign of dismissal. ('ommon people on the other hand have to appear hefore the chiefs, who decide t h e case. If tlicy allow the wife her tlirorcr, her family keel) the pnrchase m o n r y , and t h e chiefs I ~ r e s e u tt h e woman with a piece of whit'e clay, with which s h e m a r k s t h e trees of the princilral street a s a sign t h a t nlie is uo longer a \vedtled wife. If the divorce is granted to the luau, t h e wife's f:in~ilyh a r e to retnrn t h e surn received. A n interesting example of irlnovation in this domain is given hy Hlo).on in his description of Guyamwcsi,Wllere he relates how the A r a l ~ s had formerly from sclfisl~ motives introdnced a law t h a t a woman w h o I)roke a n y t h i u g of theirs became their m lave. The Negro women had turned this t,o their own a d r a n t a g e . I n order to pvt free from an uncongenial h ~ i s h a n dthey , mould break something of the chief's, and become llip slaves.
'
A l n o n g W e s t C o a s t t r i b e s , E l l i s s a y s of t h e T o r u b a , s :
' Elllb, Yoruha
sp?nking peoples, lac. cit.
16
Adultery can only he colnmitted wit,ll a married woman. Adultery in a \$rife is punishable by t l e a t l ~o r divorce, h ~ r tas a rule the injured h ~ ~ s l ~ n d lreat,s Iris erring wife arid rectorers damages (qje) from the adulterer. I11 pxtreme cares, where the h o s l ~ a n dis a man of r a n k and disco\.ers the coul)le 111 fact, they a r e sometilnes hoth put to death. I f a I~us1,antlshould divorce his wife for adultery, he can claim the restitution of the money he paid for her, but not if he sends her away for a n y other rsause. W h e n a wife is divorced or put away, no matter for what cause, the Ilusljand retains a n y children she m a y have borne h i m : h n t if a child be too y o u n g t,o leave the mot,her, i t does noL c o u e to the father till t,en or twelve years of age. We see here a great change from the 'l'shi tribes, among whom rlnrley every caircnmstance of divorce or sel~;rr;ttion the mother retains her rhildreu, though she is liable to her husband for a certain s n ~ n to coLnpeusate him for w h a t he has paid for their ~naiuteuauce. There children helong e s ~:lusirel,v to t h e mother, hut here they belonp to the father, and the innovation is nndouhtedlg d u e to the alteration in the s y s t e m of descents. When a husband sgsteulatically neglects his wife and refuses to perform 11ismarital duties, s h e can call 11pon her family to a s s ~ ~ n l aud ~ l e hold a palaver: when, if the husband promises to amend his ways, he is given a u opport111lityof retrieving his character. If after all t l ~ e r eis no in~provement, or i f h e refuses to treat his wife properly, she is a t liberty to leave him, and ~ flog sometimes, if he is o f inferior r a n k , the indignaut family tie him I I and him.' mnaty b e lmd f r o m n study Son~e idea, o f A f r i c a n f a m i l y g o v e ? ~ ~ ~ n e r,l t h r C31ld C'oast by a n a t i v e : , the Head of a village c o ~ n u u m i t y a , The Headman, as his uame i n ~ p l i e sis : township, or o f a fatnily. H i s po3itid11 is important, iu:tsrn~~ch as ward iu L 11ehas directly to deal wit11 the conlposite e l e ~ n e u t s of t,l~e general bulk of the pcopll~. ~ members thereof in I t is the tl~~t:;of the Head of a f a m i l j to bring I I the the W : I ~ they should K O ; aud by ''family" you must ~~uClerst:tnd the entire l i ~ ~ ecleacendantr al of ;L head ~ r a t i t r ~ ~ ~ t . if ~~ I~ m ia ly i acoin s , a convenient phrase. I t is espectetl of h i ~ u I)g the \Sl:rre lo liriug u p hie charge! in the knowledge t t l i t i c l a n t r a i l i t i o i I t is 11is work to train nl) his wards iu lhe \ v : ~ y s o f Loyalty m t l o l x r l i e ~ ~ ( to . e t,he powers t h a t 11c. H e is held respoilsil~le for t , l ~ freaks e of rec:~lritral~ i~ t ~ e ~ r ~of be his r s family, and he is looked to to keep them within Ijolluds, and io insist npon conforinity 011 their part wit11 t h r cnstonls, laws, and traditional observauces of the co~nlnuuity. I n early times he could send off to exile hg sale a lro111,lrsorne r c h t i v e who would not ohserve t l ~ e laws of the com~nnnit,g. I t is a. tlitticnlt task t,hat h e is set to, but. iu this matter 11c has all-p)werfol helpers in the female ~ n e ~ n l j eof r s the family, who will he either the aunts, IIeadluan; auil as their i u sisters, or t h e consins, or t,he nieces of t l ~ e or t , l ~ e teres ts are iden tical with his in every particular, the good motneu spontaneously tr:~in u p their c!hildreu to imylirit obedience to the H e a d ~ n a n whose , rnle in the family thus becomes a ~ i m p l eand a n easy matter. L'Tl~e hand Kative t h a t rocks t,he orstlle rnles the world." \Vlrat a power for good in t l ~ e State Syst,etn would the tuothers of the C;ol~l l'oast and Ashanti I ~ e c o ~ nby e jndicious training upon native lines! the judge of his family o r ward. Not. only T h e Hcadnlau is 1mt' e~::"ellevtce is he called npon to settle tlolnestic squabbles, I . I I I ~ frequently he sits as jndge
1
Ellis, loc. c ~ l :
Polygamy
17
o\-er more serious matters arisiug hetween one member of the ward and another; antl where lie is a m a n of ability and influence, men from ot,her wards bring him their disputes to settle. W h e n he so settles disl)utes, 11e is cntitled to a hearing fee,which, however, is not so much as would he payable in the regular ('onrt of the K i n g or ('hiel. Thc Headman is naturally a n important member of his "company," and often is a captain thereof. U ' l ~ e ihe ~ combines the two offices of I I e a d m q and ('alllain, lie renders to the co~ninunit,y a very i m p o r t a n t service. For, in timer; of war,where the memtwrs of the ward mould not serve cordially under astranger, they mould in all cases face a n y danger with t.lleir own kinsman as their leader. The Headman i* always succeeded by his nterine hrotlier, cousin, or nephew-the line of succ.essioii, Lliat is to say, following the ('uatoinary Law. 1 T h e reasons for polygamy i n Africa a r e social a n d economic: Liohtensteiu remarks of tlic Iiaffirs t h a t "there are fewer men than wc~men, on :ic.count of the nninl)ers of the foriner t h a t fall in their freqnent wars. Thence comes polyg:i~ny, and the women I x i n g 1)rincipally enlpli,yecl i n all menial occnpation." Son-, without accepting the inferenve t h a t polygamy is iuitiated by the loss of men in war, we ma)- recognize the fact which L i c k tcnstein does not name, that where the death rate of males cousiderahly exceeds that of females, plurality of wives becomes a means of maintaining popnlatioii. Since in every society the doings of the powerful a n d the wealthy furnid: the etaurlards of right and wrong, so t h a t even the v e r y words "noble" and "serrile," originally e x l ~ r e s s i v e of social status, have coine to he expressive of good autl bad iu conduct, i t resnlts t h a t plurality of wives acquires, in places where i t prevails, an ethical sanction. Associa~ecl with greatness, polggaiily is tholight praiseworthy ; antl, associated with poverty, monogalny is thonght mean. Heuce the relnwhation w i t h which, as we have seen, the one-wife system is regarded in polygainous con~inunities.z Their ideas of right and wrong differ i n no respect frorrl our own, except in their prijfsssed inabilit,y to see how i t can be improper for a man to have more than one wife.3 . P a r e n t a l a,ffectio~ii s s t r o n g i n A f r i c a . Aweillfurtti s a y s : Parental affect,ion is developed among the Dyoor much inore decidedly than among the other tribes. h bond between mother and child which lasts for life is the measure of affection shown a m o n g the Dyoor. Parents [among the Dinkasl d o not desert their cliildrer;, nor are hrobllers faithless to brotl~ers, but a r e ever prompt t.o render whatever aid is possible. Fal~lily affection is a t a high ebb among thein.4 Ratxel says: Agreeably to the n a t u r a l relation t h e mother stands first anlong the chief influelices affecting the children. F r o m the Zulus to t h e Waganda, we find the Illother the moat influential counsellor a t the court of ferocious sorereiglls like Cha1i:t or Mtesa; sometimes sisters t a k e her place. T h u s even "it11 chiefs who possess n i r e s by hundreds the bonds of blood are the strongest. The f a t h e r is less closely honnd u p with t h e family. H e is indeed
' C . Hasford: Gold Coast Natlve Institutions, pp:?(i-78.

Spencer: Sociology I , pp. 671, GO!^. 8lvei:lfurth: Heart (1s Africa.
s I,i~ingstone,Zambesi, p. X I ! ) .

the head, and is recopnised a s s u c h ; it is said too that, the Negro is in general a lover o f children aud therefore a good father. Hut even here he often rules Inore by force t h a n h y love. Amoug the iustitutions recalling Roman law which Hnbl~e-Schleitleu,a n e x p e r t ou t h a t s u l ~ j e c t , fonnd auloug the xipoup\ves, 11r nlent,ions their domestic or family life: "We fiud among them the p t r i r c putcstc~sequally comprehensive aud equally strict,, if not carried jut0 such alrstraction. FVives, children, servants, a r e all in the power of the ~ ~ c ~ t r ~ ~ f a w ro ir l i ogcc. t c s TIe aloue is quite f r e e ; a degree of indeper~dence to which a wolnau among the hipougu-es can uevcr attain." Yet that. \yoman, l among the t l ~ u n p h often heavily I)urdeued, is i u I ~ e r s e l lin no s n ~ a l esteem Negrues is clear from t h e numerous Negro qneens, f r o m the ~r~ediriue-womcn, f r o m the participation in l)nl)lic rneetiupa permitted to wornel? by Inany Nrgi.0 peoples O u t of solrle s u c h itlea,s of ~ ~ ~ a ~ r r i ;u a~ ,p t i~ ena~rrie life d t h e N e p o was T h e i d e a s m e w n o t t h o s e of t h e 111ot.e lsrought tu A ~ n e r i c a :IS a, s l a v e . h i g h l y d e r e l u p e t l rncldern nations. B u t t h e y w e r e definite a n d p r a c ~ 1 1 0 t,ica,ble. a r ~ t le v o l v e d t h r o u g h lo11g social s t r u g g l e ; t h e APT~CR.LIS l ~ a t l i u r e n t , e d t h r ~ nlived n p t o t,hr111 a n d w e r e , a s S u ~ n n e shows r $0 w e l l , a s 111oral a s m o d ~ r u m e n ; i. e . , as f a , i t l ~ f ntlo t h e i r Mores.
Section 3. Slavery. Tile first f a c t w l r i c l ~s t u d e n t s uf s l a v e r y n i u s t ~ ~ I I I P I I I I J is P ~t l ~ e g r e a t d i s p r o p o r t i o n wlnollg tlre s e x e s ill t h e inlported nl:lV~r. TIIP f i r s t d e l l l ~ l l d of tile p l a r ~ t a , t i o n sw a s able-bodied l ~ l a l e
firltl h a n d s . Eil\va.rds s p e a k s from . of the great tlial~roportiou the sexes iu the s c s r l y i~nportationr: Africa. It has ljeeu S ~ I I J \ V U from uuquestiouahle authority, that oue-third only were f e n d c s . Tlins, uotwithstandiug e v e r y a.llo\vauce for the C'reolrs, i l l , n:rtiree, w110 m a y r e a n o ~ ~ a h he l y supposrd to have iucreaee(1 according I(.) t,I~e general la\vs of u a t u w , there \\-as in the y e a r 1789, i n .Tam:lic:l aloue, an esce5.s il: ils Negro pr~pulatiouof 30,000 1nnles.1
ct la t e s , T ~ a r w t ~ tth i s call h e tountl i n tlle c e n s u s r e p o r t s of t l l e U ~ ~ i t e S lliclr u ~ ~ t t > r t ~ i n s artp ~al ~ ya t e t h e q r s e s :tmong N e g r o e s o111y a s t a r back :IS lW20. t on o p p o s i t e 1)agc.. j [ S e e c11a1 S u c h a s u c ~ a lt l e r a n g e n ~ r ~t~ h t~ o r ~ yV h I I I I P I I Cwar., P , a n d w v r r e rco\\
tu~rtler g t h e i r ow11 c.awfnlly r l a , b o r a t e d m o r a l evert \\.it11 a pea)l)lc: l i \ - i ~ ~ a, li t~ ed t bl r o l i e ~ ~~ ia,tion tlre effect w a s intleetl cotlr ; b u t w i t h a t r : ~ ~ ~ s p l a ~ ~ d i s a s t r o u s . T h e first. i n s t i n c t i v e etfort. of tlre t r n n s p l a ~ ~ t egd roup was 1.0 r r s t u r e t h e n r ~ c t . s t r a l19for.e~. E d w a , r t l s s : ~ y s : I t is n t r u t h well known, t , t ~ a t the pracAticc of polyg.zn~y, whiclr ui~iversally I l ~ \Vest e Indies; nu11 he lii'rvoils in Africa, is also Very generally adoptetl ~ L t who ronceives t h a t a remedy i n a s 11e found for t,his hy iutroducing alnollg t l l e ~ nthe la\vs of marriage as eatal~lishetlin Europe, is utterly ignorant of their urauners, propensities, and super*titiona. I t is reckoned in J a ~ n a i ~on ~a, n ~?lotler:~te computation, t h a t not less ttha!l teu thousand of s w h as as are called I l e : ~ dNegroer; !arl,iiicers a n d o l h e r s ) possess fronl two to four wives. of ou This 11:lrtial appropriation of t h e wonleu creates .z still greater l ~ ~ ~ o p o r t i single Inen, autl p r o d ~ ~ c e all r t h e l ~ i s c h i e f s~ . h i c a lr ~ e necersarily a t t : ~ ( . h e t~ ~l tht. s y s t e m of ])olygalny.?
Slavery
19
Sex of Negro Population.
*;\-rn u ~ i d e s rucl~ c n ~ l d i t i o ~ rh so , w e v e r , t r a c e s of A f r i c a n fa.lnily i n s t i tutinlis persisted : T h e rr1t.n esacted a g r e a t show of respect from their families. I have often taken pleasure in watching a Negro carpeuter a t Ouadaloupe when he at,e his meals. His wife ant1 cllilclren gathered a r o ~ u ~him, t l antl served him with a s 0lucl1 respect, as the hest drilled dolnestics served their masters; and if i t was a f e t e d a y or Sunday, his sons-iu-Iaw a n d daughters did not fail to Ile present', and h i i i g hi111some small gifts. T h e y formed a c i r c l ~ ahout him, and conhi:; pipe was \-erserl wit11 him while he was eating. W h e n he had tinisl~ed, brought to him, and theri he hade them eat. T h e y paid hiin t,l~eir reverences aud passed into auotller room, where t h e y all ate together with their mother. I reproached him s o ~ ~ i e t , i m for es l ~ i s gravit,y, and cited him to the example of the governor, who ate every d a y wibh his wife; to which he repIiecl t h a t the governor was not the wiser for i t ; t h a t he supposed the whites had thcir reasons, l ~ u tt h r y also had theirs ; antl if one wonltl oheerve how prc~uda n d (lisol~edieiitthe white molnrn were to their husbands, it would be admitted
20
that the Piegroes, w h o k e p t them always in respect and sub~nission, a r e v iser and more experienced t h a n the whites in this matter. The father says the Negroes were o f t e n very eloquent, a n d that they all spent m n r h time in ridiruling t h e w h ~ t e s a n d their cuatoms.1 W h e n in a n y c a s e t h e s e a n c e s t r a l c u s t o m s i n f a m i l y , c l a n , a n d t r i h a l life c o u l d b e p r e s e r v e d , r e v o l t a g a i n s t s l a v e r y followecl. T h i s is tlie s e c r e t of t h e H a y t i a n R e v o l u t i o n : For m a n y y e a r s t h e r e h a d b e e n b a n d s of r u n a w a y N e g r o e s ill t h e r n o ~ ~ n t a i 11nder ns t h e i r chiefs. T h e e a r l i e s t k n o w n of t h e s e c h i e f s w a s 1724; h e w a s s u c c e e d e d b y M a c a n d a l , of whom t h e K e g r o e s Polydori~~ , s e e ~ i l e dt o s t a n d i n s u p e r s t i t i o ~ ~ dr s e a d . T h e g r e a t chief of t h e s e i n a roons at t h e t i m e of t h e r e v o l t w a s J e a r i F r a n c a i s , mcl h e way followed h y a n o t h e r h l a c k c a l l e d B i a s s o u . O n e of t h e i r a g e n t s s a i d t o t h e F r e n c h co~n~nissio~ :l e r I am suhject of three k i n g s : of the K i n g of Congo, master of all t h e hlacks; of t h e K i n g of F r a n r e , w h o represents my father, and of t h e King of Spain, who represents m y mother. I f I passed into the aervive of t h e r e p u b l t c , I wonld perhaps he brought to m a k e war against m y hrotbers, t h e snhjects of these three kings, to whom I have promised tidelity.1 W h e n C h r i s t o p h e d e c l a r e d himself e m p e r o r , Some writers have thought t,hat this wa,s purely a n act of grandiloquence a n d mimicry on t h e p a r t ~f Christophe, lint i t is truer to say t,l~at in i t he was act,~iated by a clear insight into t,he needs aud pecnliarities of the people with whom h e llad tn deal. T h e r e is nothing in t h e constitntion wl~iclidid not have its companion in Africa, where t h e organization of society was truly d e ~ p o t i cwith , eIectire-hereditary chiefs, royal f a m i l i e ~polypamic , marriages, councils, and regencies. But, u n c l o n l ~ t e d l t ~ h , e form i n which these things \verepnt into w r i t i n g was influenced very miicl~ b y the lanpnage and systems w l ~ i c hwere k n o w n i n Enrope. Toussaint., Ueasalines, and Cl~ristophehad ministers antl others i n their employ whu were men educated in France.' TIte g o v e r r i m e n t o r g a n i z e d wits founcletl oti t h e n r l c i e i ~ t African clan: 1:ut we tiax-e now to clonsicler that which w a s t h c f ~ ~ u n t l a t i o of n tlli;; r y r t e ~ n , w l ~ i c :it l ~ once m a r k s the insight of Toussaint and ('l~ristol)he, and tlre .Lfricau orizin of t h r i r g o v e r u m e ~ r t . T h i s is t,he ~ ; y a t e ~ ofn agricultrnc. This systc~~rn was adopted at t.he time of tlie r e c o n c i l i a ( i o ~I>et\\-een ~ the French a ~ i t l the hlavks, under t h e advice of Toussaint. Some writers have called it all attempt to estal~lish feudalism in tlre island, and the systein does ]la\-e a resenl11laui.e to it, hut i t also h a s m a n y points of similarity wit,h the orpauizatioa of society in m a n y Afriran tribes. T h r r e \\-:IS a [lit-ision of the po!)ulation into m i l i t ~ r y antl civil or laboring cl:~eses, the latter inclnding both free auct slavc lalmrers. T h e territory was parcelleil out to chiefs ur lords, a1111 the 1:111orers were huoud t o the soil, w11ic.h they \\.ere coiupelled to wurk untler a r-iporrms system of inepectiou; for their support x part of the prot1uc:e wa$ set a?itle, the rest going to t h e chiefs, and for the s111)port of tlre king or penera1 govei.nment a u d the arm>-. T l ~ e a r m y was kept untler stern d ~ e c i l ~ l i n e , w1iic:lr n l ; ~ d e it p s a i b l e to a r m tlie free men B I I ~laborers; the women (lid a large part of t l ~ e agricultnral labor. 1Tuclt.r Toussaint lhe atl~niuistration of this l a l m rxstern w a s conlmit,tetl to I~essaliuea, who c;lrrirtl it out wit11 the
Slavery
21
rigor, and it was afterward followed tly C'hristol~he in t,he same manner. The latter wcut so far as to inlport 4,oW Negroes from Africa, which he took lneans to bind to his persou aud form iuto a national guard, for patrolling the conntry. These regulations hrought back for a time a large part of the l~roq>erity which the island eujoged.l In Brazil "the Negroes brought their language aud usages, which were f o ~ u as d original as on the coast of Africa.]' The patriarchal feeling remaifietl very strong. T l ~ e tribes .seemed to be fatniliea, consitlering the prince a.s the father; the t,ie never died. "These princes are freqrleutly seen sitting on a stone in the street, snrrounclecl by a crowd who come to then1 for Jndgrnent. ~t the c8ornerof the Travessa de S . Antonio, is a st,one or post,, for many gears t l ~ ethrone of an African prince from Angola. . . . The natives of ('ongo elect a king amoug theinselves, to whose decrees they submit in a similar manner."2 There is also a good account of a n African funeral as prilctisetl in Jamaica. The permn described above nlay he the Rlulnbo J u m l ~ oof the hlaurlinpoes, \\hose t111tg it \\-:la to execute p111)licauthority i l l the h:111 of the tribe upuu t 1 ) ~ w1ril)l)iilg ' in pul~lic~:? the female offenders. The l ) u n i s h ~ n e nwxs
111 Lo\\ utles c o u n t y , Ala., in 1892. a (1escril)ticlll of a N e g r o con11tr.v 111 a milli\vecltli~lfi tells of t h e cllasing of t h r bride a t t r r tlir c e r e n ~ o n y Z u l u ceremouy tlcxscribetl 011 a previoils page. ner v r r y s i ~ n i l a r to t,l~e Chref~~ re l s e a r c l ~would dorthtJess reveal ~na,rly o t l ~ r r traces of t l ~ e A11.ica11 fa.mily in America.. T h e y would, however, be traces ol!ly, for the effrc.tirrl~essof t h e s l a v e systein m e a n t t h e pract.icaI1y c o r l ~ p l e t r cruslli~~ out g of tlie Africa11 clan a.nd f a m i l y life. Pio Inore c o m l ~ l e t e ca.n he devisrtl. metl~otl of reducing a. b a r b a r o u s people to s n b j e c t i o l ~ The 1lldia11 could n o t be reduced to s l a v e r y bc.ca.use. b r i n g i r ~liis ow11 home, 11c. uoulcl not, he p e r m a n e ~ l t l y a n d effectively srpa.rat,etl f r o m his cla.11, autl the clan Sought for his freedom. Only i n t h e isolated islar~ds,then, \\,as Intlian slilvery s u w e s s f u l , iuitl died o u t t h e r e for wal:t of n slave trade. T h e essentiir.1 f e a t u r e s of Negro slavery i n A1neric.a was: 1. N o legal i n a ~ ~ l ~ i a g e . 2. N o legal f a u ~ i l y . 3. N o legal colltrr,l over ehiltlren. O F t h e ino~.a,ls of modern This is not i n c o ~ ~ s i a t . e n with t, n ~ u c t le ~i w h i l ~ g family life to s l a v e s ; t h e point is t,hat t h e recognition of t h e black family from 1619 t o 1HL;Y w a s purely a m a t t e r of ilitli\-idual jrldginent or. calnice on t h e part, of t h e ninster. Pnhlic opinion a u d custo111 c o u l l t ~ d for 1nuc11,a n 3 t h e 1a.\1. tellded to recognize solne yitcisi fanlily rightsf o r b i d t l i ~for ~ ~ i11stnnc.e. , iu solne c a w s t,he s e p a r a t i o n of noth hers a n d very young infallts-yet on t h e whole it is fair to say t l ~ a while ~t to some e s t e n t E u r o ~ ) e a t l fa~nily morals were t a n g h t t h e s m a l l select botlg of house s e r r a l ~ t s a n d a r t , i s a ~ l sboth , bypl.acept a n d example, t h e g r e a t h 1 g of field 11alldswcXrem p e d of t h e i r own s e x c ~ ~ s t o ~ an nds provided nit,l~ 110 bincling nen7 ones. S l a v e r y gave t h e inonogamic f a m i l y idea.1 t o "ares. but it c o n ~ y e l l e da n d desired only t h e m o s t imperfect 1,r:lctic.~.
22
of its m o s t
ordina,ry ~ n o r a l s . A f e w q u a t a t , i o ~will ~ s i l l u s t w t e t h e s e con-
clusions : A slave cannot even contract matrimony; t h e association which takes place among slaves and is called marriage heing properly designated by the word conttlherniuin, a relation which h a s no sanctit,y and to which n o civil r i g h t s are attached.' A slave has never mainbained an actiou against the violator of h i s herl. A ~Iave is not admonished for incontinence, o r punished for fornication o r a d u l t e r y ; never prosecuted for bigamy, or p e t t y treason, for killing a hushand heing a slave, a n y more t h a n admitted to a n appeal for murder2 Slaves were not entitled to t'he conditions of matrimony, and therefore they had n o relief in cases of adnltery ; nor were t.hey t h e proper objects of cognation o r a f i n i t y , h n t of quasi-cognation ~ n l p . ~ A necessary consequence of slavery is the absence of the marriage relation. No slave can commit bigamy, hecause t,he l a w knows no more of the marriage of slaves t h a u of t h e marriageof brutes. A slave may, indeed, he formally married, h u t s o f a r a s legal rights and obligations a r e concernerl it i s an idle ceremony. . . . Of course these l a w s clo not recognize the pateruat relation a s helonging t,o slaves. A slave has no more legal authority over h i s child t,han a cow has over h e r calf.4 111 t.lie slave-holding States, exrelit, i n Louisiana, no law exists t o prevent the violent separation of parents from their children, or even from eac!~ otiie+.s Slaves may be sold and transferred from one to another without a n y atatntory restriction, as to the separation of parents and chilOreu, 'Pc., except i n the S t a t e of Louisiana." Slaves cannot marry without the consent of their masters, and then marriages d o not prodnce a n y of t'he civil effects which result from snch contract.> A Rrooklp~ ju ~d g e , i n 1869, a.bsolved :I, f u g i t i v e s l a v e f r o m b i g a m y , Considering t h a t marriage is a civil contract, which requires in t h e contractiug parties t h e capacity to contract it, that, slaves can not contract x rrgultrl- ~ n a r r i a g e aud , that the cohabitation confer-, no right on them or their 1.1iiIdren ; ( L a w s of .il;lharna, Rlaryland, and North t'arulina.)"* wa ss , both :r Thus t h e r i g h t of ( I ) alieuatiou, either hy will or i ~ t c r i ~ ~ cause and a consequence of t h e property conceptio>~.I t inclnclccl trausfer of the whole or p a r t of the snl~ject'aobligations. f o r v:llnaldr or other (:ousitler;~tiou, to other persons and places, e v r n beyond t h e jurisdiction of theSt,ate." I t was here t h a t t,he iucident of (3) separation of families, als{)in\-olved i n alienation, was made capable of extension u n t i l checked h v law. This w a s tinally done i n 1S01 h y a decree of the Supreme C'onrt of Appenls which de~:lnred t11at "An cr1uaI division of slaves i n nnrnher and value is not :~lwavb possible and is roinetimrs i ~ n p r o p e when r i t cannot he e s a c t i y (lone w i t l ~ o i ~ se t parati~~p' infant ehiltlren f r o m their mothers which h u m a n i t y inrl3ids and will not 1,r
-1
Stroud's Sketch of SIa\.e Lt~ws, 1). til. 2 iJyillion i,t Ipanirl T)ultrne.\., Escl., Attorney-Crneml of M a r ~ l a ~ ~ 1d ilI:lryInl~d . Hrportu. 11p.561, 5li:i. 3 lJr. 'l't~ylor'~ Element* u f the C i v i l Law, p. 621. 4 .Jay's Inquiry\-, p. I:??. Stroud's Hketc'h. 11. .W. 6 Wl~relw'b J A I W of S 1 1 ~ v ~ r1). . v41. ~ 7 ('ivil rode of La,.,1H53. 8 C o c h i n : Results of Slavery, p. 3!2. Balli~gli:Slavery in VB., pp. 62-61.
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-~ -
Slavery
23
coullteuanred in a w u r t of equity, so t h a t a compensation for t h e excess must in snch ca.ses be made and received in money." T h e r i g h t to separate husband and wife aud larger cliildreu, however, still remained.' The tasters do not atlsolutely refuse to allow their Negroes to "lnarry off the place," Irut they disoourege intercourse as mnch as possible between their rowad ad those of other plantations. \\'lieu L : men and n o i n a n ~ v i s h to live with each other they a r e required to s5k leave of their master, and, unless t h e r e are some vcry ob\-ious ol)je(.tious, this is always g r a n t e d ; a r a l ~ i uis allott,ed to t h e ~ n and , presents e r e made of dresses :lnd honsekeeping article$. h marriage rerelllony, in the aalne forlu 3 5 that used by f i e e pcople, is roltdurted by t h e Negro prearher, and they a r e eucwur:~gedto m a k e t h e ocrasiou lnenlorable and glxtifying to all 1)y general festivity. The master and n~istress, if on the pl:tntatiou, usually honor the wedding by tlieir a t t e u d a u c e ; and, if t h e y a r e favorite servants, i t is held in t h r house aud t h e cereinony performed by a whit,e 1ninister.l 1,esal ~ u a r r i a g eis uiikuol.\-n among t h e s l a v e s ; they sometimes have e i~iarriace forn-gener:illy, however, none a t all. T h e lrastor of the l'resbyterian v h n r c l ~ iu Huntsville had two fantilies of slaves wlieu I left there. One cunple were i n a r r i ~ d11s a Xegao l r r e a c l ~ e r ;t h e inan w a s robbed of his w i f e a nunil~er of n~oitthsafterwartla, by her "owuer." T h e other c:onple just "took ul) together," witbout ;my for111 of n ~ a r r i a g e . T h e y arc both nienihcrs of churches-the nlail a Balltist deacon, soher and correct iu his deportmelit,. They have a large fanlily of cl~iltlreu-all chilclren of concubinage-liviug in a nlinister's family.3 Persons who own p l e ~ ~ t a t i o rand ~ s y e t live i n cities, often take clrildreu from their Imrents a s soon a s they a r e \veauetl, a n d send theni iuto t h e counof the mother taken n p h y attend~ ~ e (10 not \\-ant the t i ~ n e t r y ; h e c a ~ they ance upon her own rhiltlren, ii 1xi11::too valuable to t h e illistress. As a favor, she is, in soiiie cases,pern~ittedto g o to see thein once a year. So, on the other hand, if field slaves 11al)pen to have children of a n age snitahle to t h e courenience of the maFter, they are txkeu f r o m their p:n.euts antl brought to t h e aity. Pareuts a r e almost uever consulted a s to t h e disposition to be ~ n a d e of their children; t h ~ h y a v e as little cont,rol over theni a s have d o m e ~ t i c aniinal.; Over the disposal of tlieir young.' ( h e of m y ueighhors s c ~ ~ toda speculator a Negro lroy a l ~ o uf to w t e e r ~ gear;: ')Id. I t was more t h a n his poor mother could hear. H e r reason fietl autl s h e tleralllc a perfect Inauiac, and had to he k e p t in 1.1ose rontine~nent. S h e would occasiolWly get out antl ra:i off to the neighbors. 011 on? of these ocrasious tears rollins. she canle t o m y house. She was indeed a pitiahle o l ~ j e r t .JT-itl~ down her cheeks antl her f r a m e s h a k i n g with agony, s11v \+auld cry out, "I'Oll't Sou hear h i m ? T h e y are whipping h i m now, antl he is calling for tile !"
----- - -. P . -B:lllayh: Rlnrrry i n \-n., wj-(jl. ? ()lrnstrd: ~ e a h o a r l Slave i States, p. 'iH. ' (.!Llotrd fro111Rev. n-. !r.A I I ~ I Iof , hl:chanrn, in Slaver?: as i t is, P. 47. ' 8uotrd fro111Angeljl)w (;rilnkr Weld, of 9, ('., In Slavery as it is, Pp. 51;-57. ' UuOteti fro111Rev. I?. I l n v Iry, of(.!onn., 111 ShWI'? as It is, 11. 97.
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24
(
srJltl, a11d a f t e r w a r d s p u r c h a s e d , 11s h i s p r e s e n t o w n e r , fro111T. hlcCargo anct 'o., of R i c h ~ n o n d . ~ I I I : ~ I I .Jim.-Jim i s a b o u t 50 o r 55 y e a r s of age. I t $20 Rewartl f o r m y ~ i e p r o is ~ l r o h a l r l eh e will a i m f o r S a v a u u a l ~ a , s h e s a i d h e had c h i l d r e n iu t h a t vicinity. .J. G. Owens. Harnwell District, S. i'." $loo r e w a ~ dwill Iw p i r e n f o r m y t w ~ fellows, ) .\k)ram a n d F r a n k . A l ~ r a ~ n 112s a wife a t i ' o l o ~ ~ e Slt e n arl's i n L i h e r t y c o u n t y , a u d a s i s t e r in S a l - a n n a l ~ a t ( ' a p t . Gro\-enstine's. F r a n k h a s a w i f e a t Mr. LeC'out's, L i b e r t y c : o ~ m t y ;a TVIII,R o l ~ a r t s . m o t h e r xt T l r ~ ~ u d e r k ~ oa ln t ,d , a sister in S a v a n n a l ~ . ~ \ ~ : ~ l t l ~ o ~ ~5th r v i.Jan., l l e , lA39. 6 Ru~~:~\vay-hI ny e g r o III:II~, Freclerivk, a.l)out W y e a r s of a g e . H e is no tlouht. n e a r t h e i ) l n u t a t i i ~ no r C;. I\'. C'orl)re\v, Esq., of N o s u l ) l ~ e ec o n n t p , Jlississiplli, a s hi.+ \vife 1)elongs to t l ~ x t g e s t l e m a n , a n d h e followed h e r f r o m m y resitleuce. T h e a l ~ o v erew:rrd n-ill l ~ epaid t o a n y o n e w h o will confine I ~ i m in K e r l i m a n Lewis. jail and i n f o r m m e of i t a t A t h e n s , h l n . - \ t I ~ e n s ,Ala. 4 $50 He\\-ard.-Ran a w a y f r o m t h e suL)acril~er,a n e g r o g i r l nanred Maria. S h e is of a copper cbolor,11et\vee11 1.; a n d 14 y e a r s of ape-bareheaded a n d barefooted. S h e is s n ~ a l f l o r h e r age-very s p r i g l ~ t l y a n d v e r y l i k e l y . S h e st,ated s h e \\-as S a n f o r d T h o n ~ s o n5 . g o i n g to see h e r m o t h e r ;tt M a y s v i l l e . I~'o~n~nitte to t l j a i l of Madison c o u n t y , a n e g r o w o m a n who c a l l s h e r llame Fanu?, a n d sit)-s s h e I ~ e l o n g s t,o \Villiam Miller, of M n l ~ i l e . S h e f o r m e r l y I W I ~ I I ~ P Ito I J o h n ( i i v i u s , of t h i s ~ o u u t y w , h o n o w o w n s s e v e r a l of ller chiltl rcn. David S h r u p s h i r e , J a i l o r . a $.if) Reward.-Ran a w a y f r o m t h e ~ u l i s c r i l ~ eh ri,s n e g r o m a n f anladore, comn1on1.v called P a n l . I untlerstaurl (;en. R. T. H a y n e 11as purclrased his wife X I I ~ children f r t ~ n EI. ~ L. I'inckney, Eq., m~tl h a s t h e m n o w on his p l a n t a t i o n :I( (~:oose C r e e k , w h e r e , 110 d o u b t , t h e f e l l o w is f r e q u e n t l y l u r k i u g . ' I ? . Davis. 7 T h e f o l l o w i n g i s a s t a n d i n g a d v e r t , i s e m e n t in t h e ('harleston (S. V.) p a p e r s :
120 P ' l r ~ r o v s for S:tlc~.--The n u l ~ w r i l w rh a s just nrrivetl f r o m P e t e r s h ~ i r g V , irxini:~, \ v ~ to ln ~ e Ii~mtlrerl a n d t w e n t y liliclv yullng neprues of t]ut,h s e x e s a n d e v e r y t l r s c r i l ~ t i ( ~w uh , i c h h e offers f o r s a l e 011 t h e most rex.wn:tI)le terlus. r 1 I I ? l o t uom- 011 11:~ud c0115i~t o f plo11:11 I I O ~ S se , r t ~ r a l i k e l y a n d well-qu:tlified 11~uuse s e r \ . i u ~ t sof I ~ u t h;;exes, s e v e r a l w o m e n w i t h i!hilrlren, s m a l l g i r l s s u l t a h l e f o r n l u s e s , a n d s e v e r a l s m a l l boys wit,liout t h e i r m o t h e r s . P l a u t e r s a n d lr:tiler? a r e c a r n e a t l y rerlt~ertecl to g i v e t h e s n l w * r i l w r x call p r e v i o u s l y t o m a k i n g p u r c h a s e s e l w w h e r e , as h e is enahled ant1 w i l l sell xs cheali, or tlleal~ei', t h a n c:an 11r sold by a u y o t h e r person ill t h e trade. Renjamiu D a v i ~ 7 .
1
O n e d e s c r i p t i o n of
w s e p a r a t , i o n uf a family by a.uc.tion w i l l suffice:
FIYIIIIt h e s e s c e n e s I t u r n t.o a n o t h e r , w l ~ i c h took p l a c e i n f r o n t of t h c n o k ~ l e O n t h e left "Eacl~an~ Huilclings" e i n t h e h e a r t of t h e c i t y [ C ' l ~ a r l e s t o 8 ~.~('.I. , side of t h e stell a s y o u l e a v e t h e nlaiu h a l l , i l n m e d i x t e l y m l d e r t h e w i n d o w s Klchn~ct~~cl Il'hig. J u l g 23, 1 W . 2 S i ~ v a n ~Heprrblicn?r. ~i~h Rept. R, I?:%+. B;lr:r~lll:th G'?o).yian, .Tan. 17, IR:l!J. 4 Soitll~e?.)~ Q Y ~ I ,Ckt. , ? , 31, 1837. I ~ r x i n g t o nI Ky.1 Ohse~tw.a?~rE Reporter, Scpt. 28, It$:%. '; .lacksou ITerln.1 T e l e g ~ a p hHept. , 14, 1H8h. ; A l l ul' thrse nilrcl.tiselnrnts are quutttd in Ailierir.:ln Slaver). :LS it is. yp. llili, 167.
1
Slavery
25
of tha,t proud hiiiltliug, was a stage I ~ u i l t011 , which a mother with eight children were placed, a l ~ t l sold at auction. I w a t c l ~ e dtheir emotions closely, aud saK their feelings jvere iu accordance to human nature. T h e sale hegan wit,h the elrlest child, who, h r i t ~ gstruck off to t h e highest bidder, was taken from the stage or ylatform hy the purchaser, and led to h i s wagon a n d stowed a\vag, to he carried i n t o the r o n n t r y ; the second a u d third were also sold, and so ou nntil seven of the c:hiltlren were torn from t,heir mother, while h e r disc e r ~ ~ m e told u t her they were to he separated prohably forerer,causing i11 t11al mother the most agouizing sohs and cries, in which the childreu seemed to share. Thc scenc I ~ e g p a r sdescription; atiflice i t to say, i t was sutiicieut to c a w e triirn from one a t least "whose skin was not colored like their own," and I W;LS ~ ~ ashanled o t to give r e n t to them.'
The Presl~ytrrian S y n o d of K e n t u c k y s a i d t o t , l ~ e cliurcl~es under their c a r e , in 1335:

Brothers and sister.;, parents and childreii, hushauds and wives, a r e torn asu~~dc and r , permitted t.o nee each other uo more. These acts a r e d d y ocrurring in the lnidst of us. The shrieks and gong often witnessed o n such o(~c':IP p~ r~ ~~IrI la ~i rwith n, a t r u ~ n l ) etongue, t t h e iniquity of ollr system. There wenes a r e not displayed. is not a neighhorl~ood w h c r r these 11e:~rt-rending Tlicre is not a village or road that docs not I ~ e l ~ o ltd h e sad procession of manacled outcasts, whose mournfit1 countena,uces tell tha,t t h e y a r e exiled by force from all t h a t their hearts hold dear.2 Irregularities involved uot only slaves b u t masters. P r r s i ~ l e n tJ w m e s M a d i s o n s a i d :
A s i s t e r ot
We Southern ladies are complir~iented with the names of wive*; hut we are only the n~iatresses of seraglios.3
A s it rrlates to amalgamation, I can say, t h a t I have been i n respectable fnmilirs (so-called), where 1 could distinguish t h e family resemhlauce in the slaves whv waited upon the tahle. I once hired : L slave w h o helonged to his own uurle. I t is so common for the female slaves to h a r e white children, t h a t little or nothing is ever said about it. Very few inquiries are made as to w h o his father is.*
.Itnalpamation \\as common. There was scarce a family of slaves t h a t had females of mature a g e where t l ~ e r e were not some mulatto children.5 F u r t h e r proof o f t h i s is f o u u d i n t h e s t n t i s t , i c s of m u l a t t o e s ; t h e Ullited S t a t e s C e n s u s f o u n d 405,751 m u l a t t o e s i n 1850. a n d 588,352 ill 1860. T h e s e f i g u r e s \\.ere, m o r e o v e r , w i t h o u t rea.sonable d o u b t b e l o w t h e trut,h, as L L ~ n ~ l l a t tw .o a" s p r o h a h l y tamkent o m e a n a p e r s o u , visibly a't l e a s t h a l f w h i t e . P r o b a b l y o n e - f i f t l ~of t h e s l a v e s ill 18MI had d i s tillct t r a c e s of w h i t e l ~ l o o d .
Testimony of Silns Atone, of Rudson,N.Y., lPM,ln A~nericall Hlavery as I t is, p. 167. Address, 1 1 . 12. 3 Goodell, Slave Code, p. Ill. ' Testimo~~v of Rev. F r a n c i s Hawley, of C:onu.,resideut f o o ~ t e e n ?.Par.; 111 Oarolll~a; Slarery as it is, p. YI, (luotetl i l l ~11ierica11 Testimony of Rev. Hira111 Whit.e, of N. Cl., IDzrL., p. 51.
-'

O I I F ! f u r t h e r q u o t a , t i o n fro111 a S o u t h e r n s t u d e ~ of ~ t sla,vpry w i l l s h o w t l ~ eb e s t possiblt! p i c t u r e of s l a , r e r y a n d tile faunily:
I n custom t h e conce1)tiou of t h e persouality of the slave tended to supplant t11:~tof property, and was recognized to a far g r r a t e r extent than ;tctcortled w i t h t h e strict letter of t h e law. T h e alavr was here viewed xs a hum:lu being possessed of like emotions, desires aud :~rntlitionsas free men gratified without i m p a i r i ~ ~ g and \vhites, many of which mi:h t I)e re:~sonal)ly ally ohligatioll of ser\.ice due the m:irt,er. Even pr:~cticesiu which tlwm;~ge was a possible or even certain result to the property elemrut fouud a continning sanction in c u s t o ~ ~ T ~ h.e common recoguitiou of marital and family rights, for iustance, w a s the outgruwth of a sentimeut of 1111manity rather than of e c o n o ~ n i c iuterest. T h a t tile ties so estal~lislietlwere so nccorcled the full rcrogniti~ou they tleserred is hy no means true, I I I I ~their existence, even wl~en haml~ei.ed,distinetlymitigated t h e r o n t l i t i o ~ s of al:~vn'y. So also slavehreetling, however unfortunate some of its a p p l i v a t i o n ~may have heen, hatl its origin in humanity. I t s development prevented the iutrotluctiou of the s, marriage was denird bar1)arons 1)ractice of the Spanish \Vest I ~ ~ t l i ewhere hecause it w a s chenper to i m l ~ o r t sl:~vesthan to raise them. T h e a b ~ ~ of sc breeding in the p r o s t i t u t i o ~ of l females was not, unly lessened by heavy legal a.ud social pcualties, I ~ u tmet a untoral check i n the deusity of population, whose increase even t h e d o ~ u r s t i c t ~ x t l ea , neressity f o r the existence of slavery in the old Stales, xvas unahle to prevent. T h r desire to procreate slaves wheu tiley were c h r a p was a n y t h i n g I)nt e o u o m i c iu ciluse or effect. T h e damage to service in c'hilcl-11r:~ring and the cost of rearing the infau t was a net loss, a l ~ d as une of the I~nrtlrus inrident to a human viewed i ~ invnli-in:: s slave system. I t was upon this economic ground that r o n s c i e ~ ~ t i o unutia slavery rlaveliol~lrrswere v-or~t to base their strougest a r ~ u m e n t s . Slarc\>reeding iu t h e opprobrious use uf t h e tern1 prolmhly had a.u estensive existence with a certain class, which was governed neither by ecouomic n o r moral ronsitlerations, but as this class is usually small in an!. eivilizecl society autl a s historic: rvitleuce shows its limited extent iu Virginia., the u s e u s e was k e p t within t ~ o u ~ by ~ dp su l ~ l i c s e n t i m e a t and legal peuxlties.1
Section 4. Present Conjugal Condition. T h e Lrnited S t a t e s C e n s u s h a s collected s e p a r a t e s t a t i s t i c s of c o l ~iigal j conditions among Negroes o111y in 1890 a n d 1!J00. T h e f i g u r e s f o r w h i t e s a n d N e q r o e s a r e :
Bnllugh: History of Slavery 111Virginia, pp. !V,!IH.
Conjugal Condition
27
28
I f we illustrate tbese percenta'ges by a diagram we have this:
Conjugal Condition
A c o m ~ ~ n r i s oof n the c011juga1 e m i d i t i o n of the rare% ~ gives these figures :
I Ithe
South
Per cent Distribution of t h e Population a t least 15 years of age, by Conjugal Condition, tor Negro and Whlte Races, b y S e x , for t h e South: 1900 and 1890
MALE
FEMALE
CONJUGAL CONDITION
Negro
White
Negro
White
Youth Atlantic. nnd Youth "entral U h i s i o n s T o t a l
' Negroes i n t h e United S t a t e s , 1W1, p. 49.
30
A similar cornpa,rison of races i n ~Ma~ssachusetts follows :

Conjugal Condition-Negroes -
of Massachusetts, 1900
MALES
S i n ~ l e Marvied
Widowed
--nirorrerl
N a t i v e \ \ b i t e , niitiue p a r e n t s . . . Negro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
..I
Slltii ! I !
I I
:jin 35.71
11 :%3
11
:37
34th i t e l ~ o r t Mnss. , B u r e a u of Stutistios.
Som~ otller romparihons follow:

Coniugal Condition of t h e Negroes of Xenia, of Farmville, of Sandy S ~ r i n g .and of t h e Po~ulatiun of t h e United States, b y Sex
[ T h e per c e n t s for X e n l n , for Farm\-ilie, u l ~ dfor S n n d y S p r i n g a r e r o m p u t ~ d fro111 s~:lieclules:t h o s e for t h e U ~ i i t e d Btntes a r e t a k e n f r v m t h e 1Jnltt.d n t a t r s census reports f o r 1x90 a n d l!W.]
--
PER C E N T O F
MALES
?D TEAAS OF A G E O K O V E R
%I
P E R C E N T O F FEMALES yRA1lS O F A G E OR OVER
ClVIL DIVISION
. . . . Xenin r t l r ~ ~ ~ ~. i l l ~ !+i~ntl?. Spring . . . . 1111ltedS t a t r s N n t l ~ w~ h i t eh, native parents -
85 28 ti5 44 76 i Z
I'JOI) . . . I Nh.tire w 1 1 i t es,i foreigu p a r e n ts-
lS!IO. . . . . . . . . . . .
tic IlY ti5 4

4h ti5
!I
. IYOO
lwU.
. .I
. . . . . . . .
Bi
For~lgn \\.bites-/
19lYI . . . . . . . Negrors1S?O
. . . .
~ n w. . . . . . . . . . I
65 ! ! 4 I 7 13
li!l 0'2 fk5 5
l!W . . . . 'l'otal~'nited~tat&
1X!JO . . . . . . . . . . . 1WO . . . . i
i i : i83 ti3 6
I) S e p a r a t e d
o Inch~cllug U
I I ~ I ~ ~ W I L
Conjugal Condition
Conjugal
3I
Condition of the Negroes of Xenia, of Farmville, of Sandy Spring, and of the Populations of Various Foreign Countries, b y Sex 1 [The prr crnts for Srni:~.F e r ~ ~ r v i l l;~.nd c . H:lritly Spring, are comlmted from schr~lft~r l'orrlcn a1.r t n k P 1 1 In1111 hlilyo-Smith's Ststtisties and F30ciolugy. Th6U~PI those ; tlgul.rafor (1i~ol.cvd are not sll,t\\n for Iorriyr~ cuuntrirs.]
Xenla FHI.IIIV~~~~ Srtndy Sprir~::

Frnnre
111 t l ~ e s r statisticss w e ha.ve s t r i k i n g r r i d e n c e of t h e I I P P C ~ S of t h e x e g r o A1nerica.n h o m e . T h e h r o k e n fa,unilirs inclicat,ed by t.he a h u o r mal n u m l w r of w i d o w r d ant1 srpara.t,ed, aiitl t h e l a t e a g e of m a r r i a g e . show s e x u a l i r r o g n l a r i t y R I I ~ ec ~ on~niic p r e s s u r e . The.se t.llinps a l l gc~ to p r o w uot. t h e tlisint,egratiorl o f N e g r o f a m i l y life h u t tlte clista.ncc n.Iticl1 i n t e g m t i o n h a s g o n e a n d h a s y e t t o go. F i f t , y y e a r s a g o * . f a ~ n ilx" sta,tistics of n i ~ t e - t e n t h sof t11e N e g r o e s w o u l d b a r e h e e n i m p s sible. 'I'wenty-five y e a r s a g o the>. w o ~ ~ h la d v e lwerl f a r w o r s r t h a n tod a y , a u d w h i l p t h e r e i s n o p r r c e p t i b l e c*ha.nge of n l o ~ n r n t in t h e sta.tistirs of 1890 a.lld 1900, m o s t o f t h e t r n t l e ~ ~ c i a rs r e in t h r r i g h t t l i r r c tioll, a n d H I ~ r a l t h i r r h o m e life i s i n p r o s p e c t .
32
None..
: ;. . . . .
I1 ...
. . . .
...
4 . . . ' .......... !>. . . . . . . . . . . . .
I ..::
.....
Of these 80 wornen 58 h o ~ e had children. Thrsr 58 h a r e had 268 children, or an everage of 4.li? I)rr woman, of which 154, or 57.6prr cent a r e still living. In34 cases out o f bl~r 68 the nrst child was still living.1
I
TJ. S. R u l l e t l i ~ oi the Bure:iu of Labor 88:10:1.
C ' o ~ n p a r i n pt h e n u m h e r o f w o i n r n of c l l i l d - b e a r i n g a g e w e may g e t s o m e m e a s u r e of t e c a n d l t y , a l t l ~ n u p l l n distorted o n e o n A C C O U I I ~n t t h e Iargr i l ~ f a n i t x o r t a l i t y a111011g N r g 1 . o ~ ~ :
Women 15 to 49 years of age. T\\elfth Crnsua, Bulletiu 2'2. Negro. lndlnrl and M\longollun.
Size of the Family
33
C ' u n t i ~ r v t ~ t i1 t l7 1 ~ l t e States d I ! K U . . . . . . Ih!lll . . . . . . . I HHO . . . . . . . . . IS70 . . . . . . . . . 1tmI . . . . . . . 1850.. . . . . . 1Y10 ......
34
. .
Numberof children nnder. 5 yrarsof age to 1, UW fenlelrs 15-44 m years of age: 1 DIVIBION OR RACE
Total population: Cont~nentul TJnlted States W h i t e populotlon: Continentul Vnited Htatrs Negro, Indian and hlongollan lations: Contlnrntnl Cnired States
1
Twelfth Census, Bulletin No. 22.
From this we m a y conclude: 1. T h e N e g r o b i r t h ra,t,e e x c e e d s a n d h a s a.lways rxcertlr:tl t l ~ e whit. b i r t h r.2t.e. 2. The Wegro b i r t h r a t e proba.bly d e v r r a s e d Iargr1.v u r ~ t i l 1870; then i t possibly increased son1rwha.t a n d a , f t r r w a . t d ra,lridly clerrrasetl. 3. T h e N e g r o b i r t h r a t e in t h e coiltitry d i s t r i c t s is higlt I n t h e cir,y i t is l o w b e c a u s e of t,he i m m i g r a , n t e h a , r i w t r r of t h e populntion. I n f a n t m o r t , a l i t y a , m o n g N e g r o e s is v e r y l a r g e b u t tlecrra.sitlg:
- -~
T h e r e r e c o r d s &.e b u t p a , r t i ; ~ la , n d r r f + i r to c i t y N(.grors c11irii;y. TI,.. A t l a n t a U ~ i i v r r s i t ys t u d y of 1897 fo1111c11137 city ~ : I I I I ~ ~ co ~~ P~ St : i i t t i n g 1712 i n d i v i d u a . 1 ~ c . o n ~ p o s e c la s follo\vs: Herrds o f fan~ilies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .... ('hildren . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (;rendpm~nts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . TTnclrs and nunts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (:runrlvl~ildrcn . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nrpliews nlrd nieces . . . . . . . Other relutireri . . . . . . . . . . i,l~ii
100
I ,v74
11 t i ; q
I6 i(l',t
138 I13
TO
'? $#I(;
21112
? 3rg.
Hi
147,;.
itG
Size of the Family
35
T!le size of the PTeyro f a m i l y i s unknown. T h e r e were, iu 1900, 1,833.854 private Negro f a m i l i e s in t h e United States. S u c h private 98 per c e ~ i t of tile tot,a,l population. A s s u m i n g t h a t fa,n~ilies r.epresrBl~t tlley represent 08 per c e u t of t h e Negro popula,t,ion-and t h i s i s p u r e &sumption--they would c o n t a i n 8,663,973 or 4.6 persons t,o a family, a f i g ~ ~p re ~ x ~ b a b llower y than t.he t r u t h . S o ~ n ed a t a bearing upon t h e size of t l ~ r la,u~ily n1a.y be foulid in t h e hulletius of t h e Unit,ed S t a t e s Burea.u of La.lmr; by c o m b i n i n g four tables t h e r e we h a v e t h i s :
n'r,y?v~Frrmilies B,q Rire i n F o z c ~ Tozrr~s
-
2 2
1
1
IECLUIIIKG A L L CHIIjnREN HORN P i c , . of Families
INCLUDING ALL CHILDREiYLIVING Persons
INCLTJDINQ T H E PRESENT CENSUS-FAMILY GROUP Persons
Nu. of Personb
A table of Negro families by size in four s m a l l towns, a d i s t r i c t in the h l w k belt, a ~ r dfor a11 races in t h e United S t a t e s , 1890 a n d 1900, follows ill percentages:
-.
1
Total
y s i Negroes
01110 Mn.rylnnd Virgiuin Tow~l Tow11 i own N e g r o e s Negroes Negroes
1 1
~ ~
United S t a t e s Total lnmilies
The S O U ~ C P S o f e ~ . r o rill t h e s e statistics a r e : t h e broken f a m i l i e s allloll!: Nrgroes, mllicll f o r e c o n o n ~ i ca n d social reasous increase t h e al-'Parent fanlilies of olle a n d two, a u d tile ahsence of lal-ge h o t e l a n d I1lstitution fainilies i n t h e Negro group.
I"'
36
T h e e c o n o m i c c o n d i t i o n of t h e N e g r o i s i n f l u e n c i n g t h e s e x morals of t h e r a c e in t w o w a y s : First,, p r e s e n t l o w w a g e s a n d a risillg ecotlornic s t a n d a r d is p o s t p o n i n g m a r r i a g e t o a n a g e d a n g e r o u s l y l a t e for a folk i n t h e N e g r o ' s p r e s e n t m o r a l d e v e l o p m e n t . S e c o n d l y , p r e s e n t econo m i c d e m a n d d r a w s t h e N e g r o w o m e n t o t'he cit,y a n d k e e p s t h e men' in t h e c o o n t r y , c a u s i n g a d a n g e r o u s d i s p r o p o r t i o n of t h e s e x e s , a s Mr. Kelly Miller h a s pointed out. T h e enormous preponderance of colored females over males, especially in our large cities, is a persistent and aggravating factor which has almost wholly escaped t h e attention of o w sociological philosophers. T h e census of 1900 gives 4,447,568 Negro females against 4,393,!!%1Negro males, leaving a n excess of 54,347 of the g e n t l e r sex in t,he Vnited St,ates. This gives a residue of thirteen left-over women to each thousand of the male populat,ion. Rot this is utterly iusipnificant when compared with t h e excesses revealed by the statistics of the large cities. T h e predominance of the female element is perhaps the most. s t r i k i n g phenomenon of t h e urban Negro population. T h e subjoined figures will show this excess in fifteen cities of more than !&),000 Negroes. E:xrc>ss of C o l o ~ e d F e r ~ i c d ~1900 s,
DITY
Feinales
Males
Excess 1No. femrtles of to each f e u ~ l e s 1(10 males
Washington.. . Baltimore . . . . . . New Orleans.... Philadelphia . . . NewIYork.. .... Menlphis.. . . . . . Louisville . . . . Atlanta . . . . . . . . . st. Louis. . . . . . . Richn~ond . . Charleston . . . . Nashville . . . . . . . Chlcago . . . . . . . . Savannah ..... Norfolk . . . . . . .
*Surplus nlnles. Thesr cities, w i t h a n aggregate Negro populatiou of K99,WY, show a fernalt. excess of 5!(,091. Chicago is the o u l y city where the females are not i n the majority, which is clout)t~lessdue to the fact t h a t a new city is always first st.t,tled by t'he men, who pave the way for a subsequent. fenlale inflnx. If every S e f r o male In these cities should be assigned a helpmeet there would still remain eighteen left-over females for every o n e hundred couples. 11. Atlanta this unfort,nuxte residne reaches the s t a r t l i n g proportion of 43 out of a hundred. Washington and Baltimore have respectively lO,(l(lti and !),I32 hopeless f e ~ n a l e a for , whom there a r e neit,her present nor proapect,ive hushands. No such astounding disproportion prevails anywhere among t h e white race. T h e surptus women who give Mrs. (:il~nau such anxions solicitude sc'arcely exreed one in a hundred even in s u r l ~man-foraakeu cities a+ NPW York and Boston. If then tlle evil be a threatening oue among t h e white race w i t h snch a n insignificant surplne, w h a t must t ~ e said of its tnnltiplied enormity when we t n r n to the 8ituatio11of the htack r a w , where the excess is more t h a n one-sixth of the malr sex'? P r e p o u d n a u c e of one sex
I
hlillrr
K13c.e Adjustment, pp. 1611-lit0
Sexual Morals
35
ot over t h e other foretiodes nothiug but evil t,o society. T h e m a l a t l j ~ ~ s t r n e n e(:ouomin and social ~ l o n d i t ~ i ~ upsets ns t,he scale where natclre intended a balance. The argulnent o f hlrs. (;ilman i s as correct as it is courageons: '&Wherewomen prepollderate ill large numbers," s h e sags, "there is a proportionate increase in i ~ n m o r a l i t y ,hecause woinen are c h e a p ; w h e w lneu preponde~.ate i u large numhers there is also immoralit,y hecause women arF dear."
Section 6, Sexual Morals. W i t h o u t d o u b t t,he p o i n t w h e r e tljc Negro A ~ n e r i c a ni s f u r t , h e s t he11i11d m o d e r n c i v i l i z a t i o n i s in l ~ i s scxual rn.ol3eu T h i s d o e s n o t m e a n t h a t h e i s m o r e c r i m i n a l i n t h i s respect t l ~ a ul ~ i s ~ l r i g h l ~ o r sP . r o b a b l y h e i s not. I t d o e s m e a n t h a t h + is more p r i m i t i v e , less c i v i l i z e d , i n t h i s r e s p e c t t11a.n h i s s u r r o u n d i ~ ~ g + : d e ~ n a , ~a~ nd d . t h a t t,llus h i s f a m i l y life i s l e s s efficient f o r i t s o n e r o u r social d u t i e s , h i s w o m a n h o o d less p r o t e c t e d , h i s r h i l t l r e n Innre poorly trained. A l l tlris, l ~ o w e v e r i ,s t o b e e x p e c t e d . T h i s i s w h a t s l a v e r y mrant., a11t1 no a.tnount of k i ~ ~ d l i n e s in s indivirlnal o w n e r s conld s a v r fr the s y s t e i ~ ~o m i t s d e a d l y w o r k o f d i s i n t r g ~ , a t i n gt h e a n c i e n t Negrrb lronle a n d p u t t i u g h u t a poor s u b s t i t m u t e i n i t s ])lace. Tile p o i n t is homever. I I O Wwhat. , h a s h e n t h e effect of e m a n c i p a t i o n 011 t.he mo.res ul the Negro f a m i l y . fa The great and inost p a t e ~ ~ t c t h a s h e e n differentaintion: t h e e i n e r geuce from t h e m a s s , of s u c c e s s i v e c t a s s e s w i t h h i g h e r a n d hipher sexual ~ n o r a l s . Of t h i s , u n f o r t u ~ l a . t e l g ,t h e r e i s n o a d e q u a t e meafiurem e l ~ t . Subjoined a r e t h e figures of t o t a l a n d i l l e g i t i n i a t , e b i r t h s i l l Wa.shD. (2.: ingto~l,
Negro Population
IR!IA . . . . . . .
lnw.
19111 . . . I!IU1. . . 1MV. . . . 1!K)4. . . . . 1HIIi
1 ! 1 0 0
. . . .
. .
.
I ,
IMIS.. . . . 1NIR . . . . . .
38
T h e s e figures a,re v e r y imperfect'. T h e total Negro b i r t h s in Washillgton a r e q u i t e u n k n o w n , being only pa.rtially reported; the illegititllat,e I ~ i r t h reports come fro111h o s p i t a . 1 ~ a.nd c i t y p h y s i c i m s , a n d i t ig impossible to s a y w h e t h e r they a r e a s far below t h e trut,h a's the total birth reports, o r not. C o m p a r i r ~ g t h i s rrport,ed illegiti~na'cy with other localities, w e h a v e : Massachusetts, 1856-!)I.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 per 1.000 Belgiun~, 1!KK1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74.6 " " Austria, 1,581-$15. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147.7 " " Negroes i n Washington, l!U. . . . . . . . . . . . . 214 " " Large cities of Bnrarla. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268 " " Halzhurg (Province, Austria) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272 " " Kaprnthen (Province, Austria) . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 3 5 ' " Jalnnica, IHM.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ti11 " " Conipa.red with t h e population t h e a p p a r e n t illegitimate birth-rate of Wa'shington Negroes w a s : 1X&l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.4 per 1,000 hlrtlls. 1XDO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 4 " " "
l!W . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 6
"
*'
<'
W h i l e these figures a r e a very d o u b t f u l basis of e x a c t judgment, they point witalloutd o u b t to wide-spreml sexu:i.l irregularity. B u t t h i s irregxla,rity b e l o ~ ~ g to s t h e undifferentiated mass: soine of them decent people, h u t 1)ehind civilization by t,raining a n d instinct. Above these a ~ out ~ dof these a,re c o ~ ~ t , i n o a lrising, ly however, ctasses who m u s t not he corifo~undeclw i t h t h e m . Of t,he m i s i n g of the sexnzo,~.es of t h e X e g r o by t.hese clnssrs t h e fact is clear a n d imeqnivoc,zl: t,liey ha.ve ra.ised t h e m a'ntl a r e r a i s i ~ l gthem. T h e r e is more fema.le purit,y, more male co~~tine~ a~ nd c ra, healthier h o m e life toda,y than ever before anlong Nrgrovs in America.. T h e testimony supporting this is overwhellning. A Halti~nore slutti-worker s a y s : My work in a large city has covered a period of nearly fourteen years. Thonsands of girls have passed uuder my observation; many of them have :~.lready hegun their careers, several are teachers in the Baltimore city school .;vsteln, aud :ire doing their part in life. The home life of all these individuals W:LS not o f the heat kind, I . I I I ~ with this much t,o be deplored in their condition Ihelieve the per cent of irnmorality to he low. A t this writing, my work is in a verit:rble slum. Degradation of every kind is ran~pant. I n the next block above us houses of ill fame line both sides of the street,. The occnpauts of these places are white. I n a street parallel to t.l~is are houses occupied by both white and colored. Many of our ehildreu come from these places. The greatest per cent of degradation I have ever witnessed exist,s hrre. What the harvest shall he only Providence knows; h t , takru all in all, I believe that 8 per cent would cover the inathematiral rerkoning as far as tigures may he taken indicat,ive of conditions of mciety. T h e principal of H a m p t o u w r i t e s : 1 have had an experience of twenty-one years with colored people, during which time I h a r e heen iutimately acquainted with a large nuniher of them a t Hanipton Iustitute. I have gone int,o their homes and have had perhaps as t u c h op1)ortunitv as most any white man for knowiug intimately their life.
Sexual Morals
39
I am glad to bear witness to niy knowledge of the clea.11, pure lives of a. large numhcr whom I have known. 1 have often said, w h a t 1 believe to bc true, t h a t it would be hard t,o find in a n y w h i t e institution in t h e Piorth t h e freedom from low talk and impure life as is to be foond a t Ha.mpton, where. 1,000 young 1)eople of two races are l ~ r o u g h together. t T h e colored race is not. degraded. Many of t h e young people who came to me years ago had no conception of t h e wroilg of certain lines of conduct and who, since they have gained that knowledge, have li\-ed up to mllat they know. I have scen young people coining from one-room calrins, where ~ n o r a l i t y seems well nigh impossible, n-110 sloughed t,hat old life, and have 111:1.degood use of the cleared knowledge which they have gaiued a t Harnpton. 1 have often said t h a t m y own hoy would he less likely to hear low talk here than i n most Northern institutions for the whites. My own Judgment in the matter is ronfirn?ed in the experience of others. F o r a nuinher of weeks an English gentleman, w h o is m a k i n g a most careful study of the race, has heen staying at t h e scl~ool. H e has mingled with t h e hoys in their play, in their workshops and ill their dormitories, and he vonfirms m y impression antl that. of m y disciplinarian, who himself is a colored man, livinp i n close contact with the young people of the school.
A S o u t h e r n w h i t e woriiarl of V i r g i n i a says: I t was the most sorrowful p a r t of s1aver.y that. t h e r e conld he n o legal marriage for the slaves, n o protection for t h e virtue of women. E r e n now therp are no laws to protect the roloretl girl. such as have a l w a y s existed for her white sisters. I n discuesing a n y qoestion t h a t relates to the Negroes, regard should he given to the rapid formation of classes a m o n g them. There is a respectable class, and this class is increasing, where married parents live virtuous lives, guard the sanctity of t h e i r homes, and st,rive to hring u p t h e i ~ children in the path of virtue.
The principa.l of a l a r g e Pu'egro girls' s c h o o l w r i t e s : When a Southern white m a n told m y predecessor t h a t all Negro women r e reply was, "1 suppose you k n o w , I don't." I ha.ve seen Negro were i m p ~ ~his women who I have good reason to helieve a r e living virtuous lives under conditions of trial such as our virtuous white women as a class k n o w nothing ahout. Through m y sainted wife I k n o of ~ examples of colored women whose firnlness in resisting teinptatiou m a k e s t h e m worthy to represent a n y race. Of those same women I can speak without reserve on all t,hrsepoints. Their modesty and genuine worth a r e couceded by white, as well as colored; their marital fidelity is ahove q~iestion. Many of them have passed t~lrrongl) thc Stage of courtship antl entered married life under m y own personal observation, antl even the most fastidions could find nothing but w h a t was proper and pnre. TVe have Negro wornen around u s here w h o are for duty's s a k e remaining single, t,hough sought by the very hest of o u r young rneu. One of the most touching tlliugs to come under nly notice has h e m t 1 1 ~ ulany mothers w h o come to beg us to take their girl?, saying, "I know I R L - ~ not what I ought to be, h u t I dou't w a n t h e r to be l i k r me." We could fill k o t i a over and over again every year with girls whose parents want them in a safe place, so that t h e y may p o w into good women. I n these nearly fifteenyears we have not had the basis of a scandal involving a member of. this School inside of our grounds, and we helieve that our record ns a school, both for 1iouest.y auci purity, will bear comparison with t h e female schools genera1l;y.

Lt would not be wise however in our zeal to refute the false assertious in Mr. Thomas's book to overlook t h e fact t h a t m a n y of them are in a measure t,~ue. We cannot do o u r duty to the N e ~ r o ~vhile we keep ourselves ignorant ,+f his true condition, antl no Thomas or ally other m a n can overdraw tile ['icture of the morals of the uncared-for masses of tlie Negro in the South, not hecauee they are Negroes, but because t h e y are uncared for.
From tile b l a c k helt o f A l a b a n ~ a a wliite \ v o n i a ~ w ~r i t e s :

I have heen for tliirteeu years working among, for and with, Segroes. T h e first four years' work and life were a t Hampton, and I will s a y nothing much rhout that,, for tlie Halnptou t,eachers have a hetter and larger knowledge ~f students and graduates t h a n I have. 1 would say, however, that it was iwcar~seI saw snch positive proof of high-~oinclednessand beauty of chard.cter among the Negroes and 1)ecause we saw, year after year, the coming i r i of earnest, self-respecting bo1.s and girls, t h a t Miss Dillingham ancl I felt we m w t go out and sljow the way of Iigllt to some who lived in d a r k places und had never had a chance to know w h a t really was tlie riglit in a n y part If life. I t was because we had firm helief in the Negro t h a t we came, and each year hut carries deeper convict,ion t h a t we were then right. We came here (Caltioun) in 1892. During t h e nine years since I have been constantly tilled with tdmiration of the people who, with but little to work f o r and with constant 2nd deep temptations, a r e a l ~ l eto withstand the temptation and struggle on ( o get a precarioi~s living, iu the strength of high convictions and deep and 8:rer-increasing self-respect. IPheo we came we felt t,hat the free living rep:.rseuted sin, but in a very few mouths we believed i t represented the natnral iife of a group of people who had never been shown or taught life on a higher l a n e . &%fter a few rnontlls of life alnon,g t11em they took hold of w h a t little me could do and begau to reconstrnct their lives. Of course we found m a n y whom w e t h e n believed, ancl still feel, were leading pure, good lives, merely from inhorn instinct,^. 1 1 1 reyard to the morality of our girls a t school, I do not warlt to omit a atatcment which, k n o w i n g the conlmunity, seems to be almost miraculous. Ln the last twelve years only two girls who liave ever heen i l l our school h:~ve breu knowu to go wrong. One was of ~ n i s o t l Intlian, Negro and white I)lood. She hai; been 1)rought u p in a house of vice and brutality, h a s heard i~ad l a n r n a g e alltl lon- talk aud seen low life and l ~ r r i t a lliving ever sillc<e hahyhood; has heeu brutally lieaten aud knocked a b o i ~ tand , i t was r n ~ x l l wonder t h a t s h e died last week in sin of every sort. T h e other, a girl of s i s k e n , i s feeble-rninded,so that after trying to teach her for foar y e a r s w e found slie knew but little more than when s h e started in school. These two cases had not heen in school for seyeral years, and are the only ones ont of many hundreds w h o liave attended \vho have gone astray. Our Iwys and y o u n g men fro111 sixteen to twenty-five years of age are upi.iglit antl self-respecting in the majority of cases. Of conrse, i n this cornrnnnity, oue of t h e worst i n t h e whole South, when we came here w e found 111 k i i ~ d s good , and bad, but there is daily evidence of desire aud s t r i r i u g s for high standards of living, and victories over self t h a t are marrelous. From t l ~ e biark helt of 3rississippi a. t e a c h e r w r i t e s : T h e trend ~ n d t,enclen(-y a r e very decidedly towards Ixtter things in the moral life, and i t h a s been in existence long enough to h a r e molded a v e r y cousideral~le portion of the Negro people to a nobler life t h a n Thoinas seems to know ahout. T h e more I study the matter the more I a m c:onviuced that
Sexual Morals
41
with all the evils resnltant from slavery and froin the s u d d e n freedom, the iudirtnleuts brought a g a i n s t the race now have never been f u l l y true, and it is less true now t h a n formerly. I have had fourteen years c~fexperience and 01)servation i n teaching in the heart of the black belt of Mississippi. There is a n increasing n u m b e r of inen w h o h a r e a high regard fo+ chaste womanhood, who a r e e a r n e s t in t h e desire to protect w o m e n from impurity of every kind. T h e y welcome and forward sucll agencies; f o r the prornotiou of purity is the W h i t e Cross with it,s pledge of reverence for women. The nuin1)er of girls w h o would resent solicitations to e v i l is not a small oue and among those w h o have been carefully reared, w h o have had somethiug of moral training, the percentage of those who go a s t r a y is a small one. Tlie nuinl>erof homes w h e r e the p u r e ideal of family life e x i s t s has increased constantly since I have beell in t h e South. There a r e s o m e p u r e homes among the poor and illiterate. A m o n g those w h o are educated t,he dishonored homes are few.
A colored T.& C. I . A. s e c r e t a r y of w i d e t r a v e l a n d e x p e r i e n c e s a y s : After fourteen years of c o n s t a n t l a l ~ o r i u g among iny l ~ e o p l etllroughout the South, esl~eciallya m o n g young m e n iu the cities a n d students i n the hoarding schools of a l l grades, I a m firmly con\-inwd t h a t a heroic and successful tight is being waged against immoral tendencies iiiherited from centuries of debasing slavery. Of course there is 111uch dross y e t to be burned away before we can have only p u r e gold relnaining. I confess with g r e a t sorrow of h e a r t t h a t there a r e some members of my race, and possihly a large proportion, w h o could be p n t d o w n as fitting one or more of the fonl characteristics of Mr. Thomas, nor do I s e e k to cover this arknowledgnlent with the fact t h a t i n every other race o n t h e eart,h, individuals can be found equally low i n life and character. But. t h e r e are various classes among the freedmen a s a m o n g o t h e r people. Born aud reared in ('anada, a n d having s p e n t three years j u s t prior to niy conling South in 1868 as a civil s e r v a n t a t Ottawa, where I mingled freely in church and social life with some of t h e best of white Canadians, I tind rnyself great,lg e~iconraged as I compare m y experience of t h e p a s t fourteen years with those of my earlier life, and especially the three years referred to a b o v e I have met in all sections of t h e c o u n t r y hundreds of colored women whose hearing has been as suggestive of good as t h a t of t h e w o m e n of the fairer race in the North. I have also come into close contact w i t h t l ~ o u s a n d sof Young men whom I k u o w to be struggling against nnfortunate inherited telldeucies and unfavorable environment. I t is trne t h a t only a few of t h e Negro race h a r e yet attained to t,he degree Of perfection possible anlong men, but, 1)etween those few a n d t h e submerged masses is a promising and inspiring l ~ o s tof . Inell aiid ill various stages Of moral, intellectual and industrial evolution.
W h i l e , tllen, t h e t e ~ ~ d e n c i e ar s e h o p e f u l , s t i l l t h e t r u t h r e i n a i ~ i s :s e x ual i m m o r a l i t y i s p r o b a b l y t,he g r e a t e s t s i n g l e p h g n e s p o t a,inorlg Negro A m e r i c a n s , a n d its g r e a t e s t c a n s e i s s l a v e r y a.ud t h e p r e s e n t u t t e r virtue H . I I ~ self-respecbt,b o t h ill l a w c o u r t ( l i s r e p r d of a b l a c k w o n ~ a n ' s and custoni ill t h e S o u t h . h u t Iira.rt,ycouviction. One t h i n g f u r t l i e r m a y be s a i d , w i t h t l i f f i d e ~ l w u l t u r e ~ m t i o r i s ,w h i l e i n The n l a r r i a g e mores of m o d e r n E n r t r p e a ~r~ to . r e far froin sa,tisl'l"lly resl'ects s ~ ~ p e r i o r tliosr of o t h e r l w o ~ , l c s a
42
fatt,ory, a s P r o s t i t o t i o u , Divorce ~ n C dh i l d l e s ~ n e s s prove 0 1 1 1 too ~ r.onc l u s i v ~ l y . Mucll h a s bee11 written a s to remedies a n d improvemellts, chiefly ill the line of p u n i s h i ~ ~prostitution, g d e n y i n g divorce a,nd s t r ~ s s i n gchild-bearing a s a duty. It. seems to t,be writer t,hxt here tile Kegro race n1a.y teacll t h e world something. J u s t a s Olivier llas pointed nut tha,t wtra,t is termed Negro " l a z i ~ ~ e s sn1a.y " be a means of m a k i n g modern workingmen denland more rational rest and enjoym e n t r a t h e r t h a n p e r m i t t i n g themselves to h e m a d e ~ ~ l a c l l i n rso s , too t h e N r g r o \volni111, with Iier s t r o n g desire for motherhood, m a y teach nod ern civilization t h a t v i r g i n i t y , sa,ve a s a m e m s of h e a l t h y I I I O ~ I I ~ ~ . hood, is a n evil a n d n o t a d i v i n e at,tribute. Tl1a.t while t h e sexual a p p e t i t e is t h e m o s t easily abnsed of all llulnnn appetites antl iiiost d e a d l y w h e n perverted, t h a t nevertlleless i t i s a. legitaimate,beneficent a p p e t i t e wlielr nornral, a.~ltl 1ha.t 1 1 0 civilization c a n lorlg survive which stigmatizes i t a.s essentially n a s t y a n d only to b e tliscussecl in shamefaced whispers. Tile Negro a t t i t u d e in t h e s e m a t t e r s is in m a n y 1.4spects h e a l t h i e r a n d more reasonable. T h e i r s e x u a l passions a r e strong antl f r a n k , h ~ i t tlley a r r , despite exaniplr antl tempt:ition, only to ;b limited degree pervertrtl o r n ~ e r e l y commercial. T h e Negro Illotherlove a l ~ dfa,mily iustinct is strong, a n d i t r e g a r d s t h e f a , ~ n i l y a.s a nleans, not a n end, a n d a.lthouglr t h e end i n t h e present Negro mind ir; u s u a l l y persona,l Ilitppiness r a t h e r tI1:l.n socia.1 order, y e t even here r a c i i ~ a lreformers of d i v ~ ) r c c eo n r t s h a v e ~ o m e t h i n g t o learn.
Part 2.
T h e Home
'
Section 7. Africa. T h e ge11rra1 description of African homes given i l l R,atzelz presents a good pictnre of t h e present Kegro llolne 0 1 1 t h a t col~tinent: The doniiciles of the Negroes, in the widespread tendency to grouping rountl a central point, :tncl to fel~cing, as well as i l l thc prcvalelit light construction with grass, reetls, stalks or h o ~ ~ g hshow s, a princ:ip:~lclue to ntr mntlisn~. f k r i n i l ~ enoniatls huiltl temporary 1111t.i of t~rusl~wootl, which they protwt try laying niats or skitie over t h e u ~ ;a c . o n n t r ~ ~ ~ t iwhich on extends from t h e fish-eater,< of the Red Sea even to the Hottentots. The o ? ~ l firm y part of these t111tsis some kind of stone wall carried round them t,o prevent the ~ x i nfrom washinp away the sand, and the water from pouring into the house. 2 Amoug the pastor;~lraces the i ~ ~ t l i r i d n h a l~ t are s 11s11ally placed in a circle round a n open space, i n t n which the herrla are driven and at night. Larger village% often rontaiu several rnrlorrures, Iiedpetl or palis;tded, for herds and flocks; a.nd thr whole wttlelneut is fin:111y once more surrounded I)y a large hedge. This rnaiu hetlge is further s t r r l l g t l ~ e ~ ~with e c l a stockade, aud iu the :qricnltriral villages a d i t c l ~is added. All the Babemlja ril1:rges are thus f o r t i f i d . But a chief p o i ~ ~ int layiug ant ail African village is to make t l ~ e al-'proac.h ditticult. This is clefeucled, as for instance by the Falls, with poi-
The African Home
43
solled z p l i ~ ~ t e of r s r e r d s t a r k in t h e g r o ~ ~just ~ ~a t flt e r t h e Borneo f : ~ s h i o n ;or, iu ertrelne ra.ses, is placed in a forest s t r r : ~ ill ~ ~t h ~ e, san(l of n - l ~ i c h tell-tale f t m t l ~ r i n arP t s qnivkly w:lshrri o ~ ~ 1t . Tile conir:ll s t y l e of llnt-l~niklil?g 11revxils a m o n g 11e:lrlg a l l t l ~ Negroes e of Afl.it!a. T h e 11lall in circular o r oval, t h e elevation conical o r I~ee-hive shaped, \*-ith the e r l t r ~ n c e11. v ; t h e bright heiug t h a t of a 11l:ln, autl t h e clianleter t\vic:e a;; ~ r ~ u c hT . h e !lee-hivr s l ~ a p ria tlie most f r e q ~ ~ e u tEve11 . the large ] l a ~ ~ d s o i l~al:~c.cs ne of t h e \17ng:~ndaa n d VT:~ugol.o, o r t h e r e g n l a r h u t s of t h e tribes on the trllller Kile, arc: n o t h i n g else. A r o u n d tliis t y p e a r ? grouped t h e llr~ts fro111 t h e Niger to t l ~ c autl fro111 S u n k o p to Sobat. R o o m i e r autl morr c w n ~ l ' r ~ r t a l ~ hl e ~ t s a r c fouud eslwciallj- i u t,he Vpl)er Nile district,: a s ~ I I , O I I the ~ IIoII~u w110se ~, 11ut.i r n n to 24 feet i n h e i g h t , o r t h e J u r s ; h ~ hom~ t ever r o ~ n ~ n o t l i o t,he ~ ~ : internal d i i n e ~ ~ s i u m ~a~ y s be, t h e door is a l w a y s low aud, as a rulr, t h e ~ e a r e uo \ \ , i ~ ~ t l o w i . IVhile t h e round o r scattered a r r n n g e l n e i ~ t of t h e \ ~ i l l a g ch a r ~ n o ~ ~ in-itli ses , e e t a i ~ g u l a rh n t s result i n its tlie r i r c u l : ~ r111al1 of t l ~ i s s t y l e of : ~ w l i i t r c t u r e r being lair1 o ~ iu ~ streets. t . Iland of r e c I : ~ ~ n $ . ~I~ ~lu :~ t -rh u i l t l i ~passes ~g from 'o ~n y o I I ~ R ~ to I I t h e ('an1ero011s. thr X1auye111:~ ~ 1 1 1 1 t rty h r o u g h t h e u o : . t l ~ r r(~ Here two r o w of t l n r l l i ~ ~ g - l l u for111 ti a s t r r r t o r ron-, closet1 a t t h e t w o e n d s by e o ~ ~ ~ ~ c : i l - l i o u or s ts ~isn ,~ila" r ll~~lrli Ic ~ n i l d i ~ ~ g . *T . "h e iuy:.t.s~ autl e z r e s s ;Lye in tlie Ioupitntliuxl aides. Tlre Iiouses uf o n c side oftell lic 1111tlero n e vonullou roof, so a; to prodnce t w o "loug houses" l g i n y o p l ~ o s i t eto each other. I n t h i s x e may l ) e r h a p s r e c o g o i s e t h e e a r l y s t a t e of t h i n g s o n t of k h i c l ~ t h e rectnn-\n~erigular si11g1e~ ~ r c ~ n i11are s e s g r o w n . \Ve a r e still more remiucled of t l ~ e call or Pol,vne;i;~n "long honsrs" 11g t h e slrepi11.g q11arter.i; for ~ ~ n m n r r i e I tl IIP~ which :Ire found, ~ I Y I I I It h e Aladi r o ~ l n t y n.er;t\v:~rds, thr011p11t h e \vhole r ~ ~ i u n I.I \kiest A \ f r i t~ h~ e lit,tle ronnd h n t s of t h e restless of rectariaular I ~ ~ ~ i l t l i nIg Hatlongl~a r e found i n t e r n ~ i n g l e t lw i t h t h e r e c t a u g u l a r F a u h11ts. Fro111 the F i s l ~river to Vyantla a n d Lilleria, Afrira. devoid of c:ities, ~ l ~ o \ v s oll1.v slipht variations ill s t y l e of I ) u i l t l i ~ ~a #~ l da r r a n g e m e n t ; a l ~ t lthese :).re due 1)artij- to t11e ~ n a t e t i ap ~a,r t l y t o tl-:mamitted c u s t o ~ n s . S O I I ~ I I of t h e % ~ I I I lwsi t h r Ilnilding i j not s o good Iwc.ansc m a t e r i a l is less nl)nlltlant, a n d q u i t e the best 1111iltlir1gis in t h e ~ ~ o r t h e a s th .n ; t t h e w o r k is e r e r y w h r r e tr;rusitory, hermse str:~m, feeds, a n d m u d a r e nsecl h3- prefereuve." 1,arger I l ~ ~ i l d i nnsed ~ s , a s palacses alld a s s e ~ n l , l p Iit)nses, a r e esecllted in both stglrs. T h e palace I ~ n t s of t h e IValruma chiefs, w t ~ i r l i a r e o v e r :iO f e e t hiph,~11d h a v e a n nrcl~etle n t r a n c e I:! or ino1.e feet h i g h ; the palace-hall o f ~chrvei~~f~~ 5 1 1 r tfeet t i , I ~ i g I i65 , fect wide, 115 the h10~ll11tt11 king, tlescrit~etlI J S f e r t lone, a r e ~ n i p l ~ t eclifices y for t h e t.ircumstancrs of C'entral hfric.:~. T h e "Palaver hnts" of \Test .\frica d o not I';111 f i ~ s r h o r t of these. (.Iholct folllld t h e hall of a s111a11 chief i n t h e t r a d i n g village of Iiozso to Ile 13 feet long alld CI \vide. Kniltlings of tliir; kit~cla r e decorated w i t h colors, ~ r r u a l l y hI?&ck, \vhite red, and \vith \ v o o d - ~ a r v i t ~ g s H . e w , a g a i n , S o u t h Africa is h e l ~ i n t l t h e "Orthrrn equatorial r e g i o n : : 111 IlCast Africa Fve ti11d t h e mud-huts, o f t e n half u ~ ~ i l g erro n n d , s ~ ~ r r o ~ ~ n c l i ~ ~ g a large r t ! c t : ~ n g ~ ~ Ic ao r ~ ~ r know^^ t, as te~nhea , n d in t r a m i t i o u - r e g i o ~ ~lsi k e D a r f ~ ~ \ye l ~ rset: , itol~e ant1 1nor1-houses miset1 with t h e cw11ica1 11uts: I ~ ~ ~ t , w l i e r ever J[ooris11 i111d A r a b i r ~ f l ~ ~ rill ~~ :\fric*n c e i h a s not led to i t o n e I~uiltlirlg, and to t h e *>rnatnentakstyle, t l ~ e village-l~ren~ise in s ;\friva a r e uf little colrlpactlles, a ~ i d corres~~onclingl sy m a l l and prrish:tlllr. .I
"
44
S o m e villages on t h e w e s t coast a r e described a s Composed of low s q u a r e , gable- roofed huts, r a n g i n g on both sides of one or more broad . streets, a n d h u i l t a l w a y s on t h e h a n k s of streams-the natural h 'ghw a y s of t h e l a n d . I n t h e rear of e a c h house is a s m a l l kitchen gard en, b u t t h e p l a n t a t i o n s , worked by t h e women, a r e a m i l e or so distant in the forest. 1 F u r t h e r east, on t h e h a n k s of t h e Congo, villages lnay be found c o n s i s t i n g of a iiumher of low conical g r a s s h u t s , ranged roulla a c i r c u l a r common. I n t h e c e n t e r a r e several large s h a d y fig tree,. T h e d o o r w a y s to tlie h u t s a r e v e r y low-scarcely t h i r t y inches i, height.2 F u r t h e r clown tlie Congo a p p e a r t h e long-house villages m u c h l i k e s i m i l a r t y p e s a m o n g t h e N o r t h American Indians. T ~ ; long r o w s of houses a r e a l l connected together in blocks of from fifty to t h r e e h u n d r e d y a r d s in length. T h e doorways a r e square apertures in t h e walls, t w o feet s q u a r e a n d a b o u t a foot a n d a half above the block is divided into several a p a r t m e n t s f o r ground. W i t h i n , t h e l o l ~ g t h e r e s p e c t i v e families f o r l n i ~ r gt h e clan. T h e roof g l i s t e m with a coating of t a r , a n d there a r e shelves f o r fuel a n d netting for swinging t h e crockery. 3 T h e towu of Ikolltiu in t h e n o r t h e r n p a r t of t h e Congo F r e e S t a t e h a s for hoines double cages tastefully built of grass-cane, 7 f e e t l o n g b y 5 feet wide a n d 6 feet l i i g l ~ . These cages a r e separate are s b u t c o n n e c t e d by a common roof, so that, t h e r e n t r a l a p a r t m ~ r ~ t c o m m o n t o both cages. a n d i n these the f a m i l i e s meet, perform their household d u t i e s , receive friends, a n d chat,. "These ' m e cages a r e as comfortable a n d d r y a,s ships' cabins," a n d a r e surrounded by b a n a n a trees, g a r d e n s a n d g r e a t t>ractsof waviug sugar-cane. Of t h e h o m e s themselves we learn t h a t they usually consist of one a n d t w o r o o m s , k e p t in a nea.t a n d orderly m a n n e r , for t h e m o s t pa.rt,, a.nd n o t crowded with inmates. T h e h n t w a s designed prinlarily for sleeping a.nd s h e l t e r in t,ime of s t o r ~ n antl , m o s t of t h e lives of inmates were passed o u t of doors. A h u t on t,he west coast is described a s cons i s t i n g of t w o rooms, uiie used a s a, k i t c h e n ai~cl sitting-room, t h e other a s a s l e e p i n g a,pa.rt,n~ent,. I n t h e middle of t h e k i t c h e i ~ elevated , above the c l a y floor, w a s t l ~ e fire-place, t , l ~ e s m o k e of which m u s t esrape by t h e low d o o r . H e r e . from m o r n i n g to u i g l ~ tsome , sort of cookirlg i s ca,t.ried o n h y t h e wolneii-stea.lning c a s s s v a , hoiling or roasting plantains, s t e w i n g A s t i or wild 1nea.t. T h e children h a v e some little mess of their o w n to cook-ail e a r of maize. or some litt,le fish. A t n i g h t , w h e n t h e evening lneal w a s served, all t h i s village seated by d families, in t h e open ~ i re,i t h e r oil t h e m s e l v e s t o g e t h r r bnt p r o ~ ~ p e low s t o o l s o r o n t h e ground, a r o u ~ l dt h e t)asin of v r g r t a h l e s a n d t.he l i t t l e i r o n p o t wit,h fish a ~ l d n u t gt-avy. Plantain lea,ves were usrtl a.s plil'tes, a n d torches of t h e ~ n trees n ~ flarrd antl liglitecl t h e night. A f t e r t h e mea.1, a l l d r a n k fro111 jugs of wa.ter, carefrllly cleaiiecl m o u t h a u d teeth w i t h t h e i r finger,=.antl t h r e w a w a y t h e plates on t h e waste h e a p a t t h e e n d of tlie street. 6 . --- lNwssnu: Mnwrdo, p. X I . r st:ruley: T h r o u g h t h e D a r k C o n t i n e n t , 11, p. 72. a r j t ~ leg n : T h r o u g h t h e I r a r k l'r~i~tiornt, 11, UP. 1:B-15
..
- -
--
: b i d 1
! I - I .
! , ? . T ~ s s R u : M a w e d o , p. 32.
6Nasrnu: I b i d , IJ. 31.
The African Home
45
Such homes and customs v a r y infinitely in different p a r t s of Africa. Amollg the Zulus of South Africa t h e h u t s a r e built i n circular k r a a l s and are made of long poles, t h e e n d s of w h i c h a r e fastened in t h e p u n d and the tops bent together a n d lashed a b o u t w i t h a tough native vine. T h u s a s t r o u g , basket-like roof i s m a d e , r e s t i n g on uprigtit posts a n d covered t i g h t l y wit11 long grass. S u c h h u t s a r e v e r y strong, are impervious to r a i n , and w i t h i n , t h e d i r t floors a r e often polished like a mirror.' A t t h e o t h e r e x t r e m e of Africa, a b o u t t h e headwaters of t h e Nile, S c h w e i n f u r t h found dwellings 30 x 20 feet, w i t h projecting roofs, covered w i t h grass a n d skins. T h e w a l l s were 5 t o 6 feet high, and bound t o g e t h e r w i t h s p l i t Spanish reed. Such h u t s a r e astonishingly strong. T h e doorway i s l a r g e a n d closed b y a door m a d e of one piece. T h e h u t is d i v i d e d into two a p a r t m e n t s . T h e h u t s of the Dinka, still f u r t h e r down t h e X i l e , a r e conical a n d often 40 feet i n diameter. Their foundations a r e of clay a n d chopped s t r a w , a n d t h e supports of hard wood. S u c h buildings l a s t eight or ten years. This casual glance a t s o m e of t h ~ homes of t h e African b a r b a r i a n s of today mill s e n e to g i v e us, p e r h a p s , a t a i r l y c o r r r c t i d e a of t h e homes of our Xegro a i ~ c e s t o r s . T h e slaves c a m e from all p a r t s of Africa, from a.11 sta,ges of ba.rbaric culture, a n d f r o m h o m e s l i k e those we have noted, a s well a s , probably, from o t h e r s worse a n d better. Section 8. Slavery. Once landed in t h e W e s t I n d i e s and "seasoned" to t h e new c l i m a t e aiid surroundings, t h e s l a v e s built house6 not unlike those t h e y h a d l e f t a t home. N o t h i n g w a s provided for them save some rough b u i l d i n g material. F r o m thil; t h e s l a v e s cot~structedt h e i r h o m e s , d r i v i n g four posts into t h e ground a n d weaving the ~ 1 1 1 of s wattles s o a s to m a k e a room 10 x 15 f e e t a u d 5 or 6 feet high, or possibly two rooms. T h e r e w a s n o floor, window, o r Ereplace, a n d t h e rouf was t h a t c h e d w i t h palins. F u r n i t u r e w a s s c a n t y ; a rough platform raised t h e sleepers from t h e e a r t h , and t h i s sometimes had a m a t or b l a l ~ k e t ;t h e n t h e r e was perhaps a table, s o m e low stools, a n earthen jar for water, a n iron p o t f o r cooking a n d c a l a b a s h e s for eating. T h e cooking w a s d o n e o u t of doors u s u a l l y , a n d if t h e fire was made indoors tliere w a s t ~ place o for s m o k e t o escape s a v e through the doorway. W h e n slaves were t e a a n d land plentiful these r u d e homes w e r e not ullpleasant. T h e y o f t e n h a d two rooms. could be k e p t clean a n d s h a d y ; and s o t ~ ~ e t h i n like g tile old African life, w i t h quasi-chief, niedicinem l i and p o l g g a ~ l l y appeared. S u c h tendencies, however, quickly Paswd, a n d the (sol(l b r u t a l i t y of slavery appeared. w h e r e life w a s llothiug and sugar w a s all. T h e homes of t h e slaves b e c a m e d i r t y oneroom lodges where, crowded like cattle, m e n slept in d r e a m l e s s s t u p o r a f t e r endless hours of forcecl ant1 driven toil. All pretense a t m a r r i a g e and the protection of b l a c k women w a s v i r t u a l l y s w e p t a w a y , a n d
' T y l e r : F o r t y Yenrs Among t h e Zulus, pp. 41-45. 2 s c h w e i n f u r t h : H e u r t o f A f r l c a , I I , pp. 118,11Y,l60.
46
herded antl w111ppedlike cattle, t h e hlack m e n r s i s t e d until lilrr lwasts t h e y fell in their t r a r k s and d i d . autl fresh loads of half putrid newcomers were e ~ n p t i e t lo ~ tl l ~ e shores hy t h e tlrrift of British n o b l e ~ l ~ e n a n d N e w E n g l a n d tlea.cons. W h e n slaves were brought to t l ~ eoiainland of America.. t l i f f ~ r r n t , building m a t e r i a l s a ~d colder rlilna.te s r ~ b s t i t r ~ t ethe d square lop hut for t h e older forms. A t first t h e s l a v e s were housed i l l rougll cahins llear t l ~ e nmster, a ~ t~ h ed a c r o ~ n m o t l a , t i o ~ of ~s t h e two ditferrtl chit~fly i n size aucl f u r ~ ~ i t u r e T . l ~ u sa.rose t h e first type of slave holne ill America-the "Patria.rcha1 G r o ~ ~ p . " Tlie re11tra.1idea. of t,his a r r a n g e m e n t wa,s distinctly l n e t l i ~ v a la,ud feuda,l, a.11d c o n s e q n e ~ ~ tfamiliar ly to its w h i t e f o u ~ ~ d e r sF . i r s t t h e r e w a s t h e I ~ o r ~ of set l ~ e 111aster-R large of two or four rooms; near i t were gruuped t,l~e ol~e-l'wlnlog log I~ouse cabins. W i t h t h e l i g l ~ tbuilding m a t e r i a l of t h e I n d i r s i t cost little more trouble to build two rooms tha,n t o hr~ilclone. But wit.11 the hea,ry logs of Carolina pine, one room w a s a s ~ n l a c l a~ s could he affortlrd. T h e room was tell t,o fourteen feet s q u a r e , a ~ s~ ix d o r no re feet h i g h ; it' ha(l I ~ o w e v e rm , a d e solne o t l ~ e r111'0s t i l l t h e d i r t fll~or. A cooler c l i n r t ~ t e , visions necessary; a rongh fire-place of stones was made, s o m r t i ~ n e s s lo n ~ r t i ~ ~ with ~ e qa c h i ~ n n r y with a holr i n t h e roof for t h e s n ~ o k et t ~ ~ t of clay a ~ ~ wood. tl A l ~ o l ein t h e w a l l , closed h ! ; a w o o t l e ~s ~h u t t r r , served with t l ~ e cloor for l i g h t a.nd vrlrtilation. T h e slave ra.bin mas tl~e chint h u s a s m a l l e r a,nd mealier edition of t h e Big H o u s e ; t l ~ e r e ]ley w a s stone o r brick, t h e house of logs, with t)oa~'tlfloor, antl p a t i tionetl int,o t,wo or four rooms a11t1 a ha.ll. H e r r t,lre proup lived a s \\-:IS n allnost p r ~ r e l y m a s t e r antl m e n . A t first t h e t1011tl between t , l ~ r ~ legal autl economic. The sla.\-es w e r e w l ~ i t ea n d black, a.11c1 t h e social s t a t i o n of t h e m a s t e r not usually 11ig.11. T h e condition of t h r I W I I ~ P I I I ~ L I t l ~ e r e f o r edepended largely on accidnltt antl w l ~ i n ~Hr1.e . t l ~ e gwere sqnalid, d i r t y . a,nd driven wit11 t h e h s h ; there a l u y , drtwtllil~g crow(l, o r a.gaiu, simply tlirifty f a r ~ n - h a , ~ ~ t l O su . t of this r l ~ a o sc+\-olretl t h e Virg311ia ideal. T h e white b o n t l - s e r v a n t s l ) c . c a , ~gradually ~~e free a11t1 ~ n i g r a t e t lsouthwa.rtl ; a rigid s.la.ve-cods carefully fixed t h e s t n tus of t h e hlack s l a v e ; he was n o longer a l l o w r t l to i ~ ~ t e r ~ n ; rwit11 rry wl~ite ; on t,he other h a ~ l t lcJscrs. s e w a n t s o r to become a fnll-fledged f r e e ~ n m Rive a n d n a u t o n c r u e l t , ~toward ' h i m w a s in solllr degree restr;r.int~tl. Tlie sla,ve had learned t,he E n g l i s h h n g n a g e a.nd hat1 assunled Christianit,y. Bonds of friendship a u d i n t i n l a c y grew up h<.t.ween l)l:~c.k a n d u-l~it,e ; t h e physical group of Big H o u s e a n d cahinr: d i t f e r e ~ ~ t i n t e ;t l so~ne carne nra.rer, ot,l~el.s receded, h u t a l l f o r ~ n e t a l grea.t f(~1.1tla1 family of lord and reta,iners. R u t t h e curse of such families, w i t h s l a v e s a t t h e bottom a n d a p r i r i legetl a r ~ s t o c ~ a a ct y t h e top, ever w a s nntl e \ e r will be, s r s n a l t l e b a ~ ~ c h men a r e found to l w 1.11ined e r y . T h e uiorals of black nomcbn a n d \ \ l ~ i t e an under s ~ ~ c h a r r a n g e m e n t , n111ess long-revrred custoln a n d selfr r s p c t elrter to clieck license. R u t tile African h o ~ n ewit11 its ell.;t o m s bad long a g o heen smept a \ v a y , a n d slavery is s i m p l j a systrni f o r c r u s h i n g &elf-respect. N e v e r t h e l e s s t i m e w a ~ slowly I ~ e g i ~ r ~ r i to ng
The Slave Home
47
provide remedies. JVhite f a t h e r s coulcl 11ot see t h e i r black c l ~ i l t l r e ~ ~ utterly nr~glectetl, and white ~ n o t l ~ r r sa s w t h e d a n g e r of s u r r o u ~ l t l i n g their sous with r i c e and ignorance. T h u s , g r a d u a l l y , t h e better class of slaves were h r o u g l ~ tcloher i n t o t h e hosoln of t h e fanlily :is houseservants. Religion a n d m a r r i a g e rites received more attetltion a.ncl the Negro monoganlic f a m i l y rose a s a d e p e n d e n t off-shoot of t,he fellda.1 slave reginw. T h e first sign of t h i s wa.s t h e i n ~ p r o v e m e n tin t h e ;he l~ouse of t h e h o u s e - s e r v a n t s b e c a m e larger, s o m e t i m e s Negro h o ~ n e t with t.wo ~ w o ~ nas ; more careful regard for o u t w a r d decency w a s m a n i the d direct intercourse between t h e cabin a n d B i g H o u s e fest, a ~ ~ hrought better lnarlners a n d w a y s of living. One can ea.sily i m a g i n e in t h i s t l e v e l o p m e ~ l ~~ tow slavery m i g h t h a v e worked itself o u t for t h e good of black a n d white. A n d usually t,hose persons North antl Soutll w h o dwell on the a d v a n t a g e s anti t r a i n i n g of s h v e r y have t h i s p h a s e of d e v e l o p m e n t in ~nincl. The cottoll-gin doomed t h e patriarcha,l s l a v e group. C o n ~ m e r c i a l slavery, u l ~ i c llooked ~ upon t h e s l a r e p r i m a r i l y a s a.n i n v e s t m e n t , meant tleatll to t h e Negro home. One of t.he first signs of t h e changed of co~~tlitio u t h i n g s was, perllaps, t,he "Detached Group" a s I s h a l l tlesiguate t h e second t y p e of slave homes. T h e "Detached Group" nra.s the gl'oII[J of slave c a b i n s w i t h o u t a B i g House-i. e., removed from t h e direct eye of t h e master, e i t h e r t o a f a r 1mrt of t h e sa,nie p l a n t a t i o ~ ior . h e B i g House h a s turned to brick, w i t h to a differelit p l a ~ ~ t a . t i o nT imposing [~roportiorls, snrrotu~rledby trees a.nd gardens and a, certa.in state and elegauce w i t , t ~ which t h e old S o u t h wa,s flavored. The houseservants a r e now e i ~ h e lodged r in t h e B i g H o u s e or in t,rim cabins near. The mass of t h e s l i ~ r e s a r e d o w n a t t h e " q u a r t e r s " by t,hemselves. under the direct e y e of t h e overseer. T h i s c h a n g e w a s slight in a.ppearm c e b ~ l of t g r e a t i m p o r t a n c e ; i t widened t h e dista.nce between t h e t o p and bott,o~n of t,hc social l a d d e r , i t placed a. t h i r d p r t y between ina'ster and slave, a,ntl it removed t h e worst s i d e of t h e s l a v e hiera.rchy f a r from the eyes of its better self. From the "Dctachetl Uronp" to " A h ~ c n t e t ?Landlordism" w a s b u t a Step. T h e rich l a n d s to t h e s o u t h w e s t , t h e h i g h price of cotton, antl the rapitllg illcreasing internal sla,ve trade, wa.s t h e beginning of a SYsteln of c o ~ n n ~ e r c i sla.very al in t h e gulf s t a t e s w h i c h will e v e r r e m a i n a (lisyra.cef111 c h a p t e r in Anlerican history. I n it.s worst phase there. "a.s no R i g H o u s e a n d cultivated m a s t e r , o n l y a n unscrupulons, paid Overseer, la,wless a n d a l m o s t irresponsible if h e only m a d e crops l a r g e enough. T t ~ r honles of t h e field h a n d s were f i l t h y hovels where t h e y slept. Tllere wa.s 110 f a n l i l y life, 110 m e a l s , no m a r r i a g e s , n o decency, of toil a n d a a i l t l d e b a u c h a t C h r i s t m a s time. I n O11lya n eltdless 1.o11ntl the foresth of Lonisiar~a., the botto~ns of Mississippi. a n d the S e a I s l a n d s Of C;eo~pia.,where t h e Nepro s l a v e sa.nk lowest in o p p r e s s i o ~ a~ u d helplessness, the Negro h o m e practica.lly clisa.ppeared, a n d t h e house w a s silll~ly rude, i n a d e q u a t e shelter. Bllt whither w e n t t h e B i g H o u s ~ w , h e n s o e n t i r e l y separated from slave quarters:' I t ~ n o r e t l t o t,own autl w i t h i t moved t h e house-
48
s e r v a n h . T h e s e privileged s l a v e s were trained a n d refined from cont a c t with t h e m a s t e r s ; t h e y were often allowed to a c c u m u l a t e a p e c u liunz; t h e y were in s o m e c a s e s freed a n d gained considerable property, h o l d i n c it, in s o m e f r i e n d l y whit.e m a n ' s name. T h e i r horlie life improved, a n d a l t h o u g h i t w a s f a r froln ideal, y e t i t was probably a s good a s t h a t of t h e N o r t h e r n w o r k i n g m a n , wit'h sotne ~ n a n i f e s t differences; s e x u a l looseness w a s t h e weakest point, m i s i n g from subordination to t h e w h i t e s a n d t h e lessons l e a r n e d t h e r e f r o m by t,he servants themselves. T h e y lived often in s m a l l one o r two-room homes hehind the masters' mansions, reached b y a.lleys-w met,hod which h a s since left t h e peculiar alley problem ill S o u t h e r n cities. Solnr: of t h e slaves a,nd t h e freedmen lived i n a N e g r o q u a r t e r by tllemselves, although the dis. tinct,ive Negro q u a r t e r of t o w n s is largely post-he1lu111. T h u s w e h a v e in s l a v e r y t i m e s , a m o l l g other tendencies a n d lna,ny exceptions, t h r e e f a i r l y d i s t i n c t t y p e s of N e g r o h o m e s : t h e patriarchal type, found a t i t s best in V i r g i n i a , w h e r e the housing of t,he slaves m i g h t be compared with t h a t of t h e poorest of t,he N o r t h e r n workillg. m e n ; t h e s e p a r a t e group a n d a b s e n t e e type where t h e slaves had prac. tically no homes a n d n o f a m i l y l i f e ; a n d t,he town group where the few house-servants were f a i r l y well housed. I n discussiug slavery and incid e n t s connected with i t , these v a r y i n g circu;nstancrs a r e continually lost s i g h t of. T h e house of t h e s l a v e , w h i c h I h a v e s o u g h t to show in its various rela.tionships a n d degrees of s q u a l o r , h a d certain g e n e r a l characteristics w h i c h w e m u s t notice ca.refully. First, there was t h e lack of c o m f o r t ; t h e Negro k n e w n o t h i u g of t h e litt,le niceties and coniforts of t h e civilized home-everything of heauty a n d tast.e had disappeared w i t h t h e uprooting of t h e A f r i c m home, a n d little had been learned t,o replace t h e m . T h u s , even to t h i s clay, t h e r e is a curious bareness a.nd r o u g h n e s s ill t h e c o a n t r y Negro home, t h e remains of a n u n c o u t h n e s s which in s l a v e r y t i m e s m a d e t h e h o m e a n y t h i n g but a pleasa.nt, lovable place. Tliere were, for instance, few chairs with h a c k s , no s h e e t s 011 t h e beds, n o hooks, no uewspapers, no closets or out-houses, rlo b e d r o o n ~ s no , t~blecloths a.nd very few dishes, no carpets a n d usually no floors, no windows, no pictures, no clocks, n o lights at' n i g h t s a v e t h a t of t h e fire-place, little o r uothing s a v e bare rough ghelter. Secondly, a n d closely corlnected w i t h t,he first, w a s t h e l w k of hygie n i c c n s t o m s : every nation h a s i t s h a b i t s a n d c n s t o n ~ shanded clown from elders, which h a v e euabled t h e race to survive. R u t t h e continuity of N e g r o f a m i l y tradition bad bee11 broken a n d t h e traditions of the w h i t e e n v i r o n m e n t never l e a r n e d ; then, too, the r u l e s a n d esact'ious of tl~e p l a n t a t i o n favored u n l ~ e a l t h yh a b i t s ; t h e r e ensued a disgusting la.ck of personal ctleanliness, bad h a h i t s of e a t i n g a11c1sleeping, habits of b r e a t h i n g bad air, of w e a r i n g i n a d e q u a t e clothing-all such changes mid a b u s e s in e v e r y d a y life for which t h e world's gra.l~dchildren must e v e n t u a l l y pay. T h i r d l y , t h e r e w a s in t h e s l a v e home necessarily a l m o s t a n entire lack
The Slave Home

of thrift, or t l ~ e ortli11ar.v i n c e n t i r e s to thrift,.
49
T h e food a n d fuel were celtai~~ antl . c'xtra f ~ i t h f u l n e s s or s a r i n g co~lld m a k e little o r no differel,ce. On t l ~ e c~ther I~antl,c u ~ ~ n i n al g~ dt h i e v i n g could secure m a n y a f o r b i t l d e ~knick-knack, ~ fax more t h a n honest cultivation of t h e little garden spot which each f a m i l y often had. T h e thriftiest slave could ol~lg look forward to s l a v e r y for hiniself a u d children. Fourthly, t l ~ ~ r we a s tile absence of t l ~ efather-that is, t h e l a r k of autl~ority iu t h e slave f a t l ~ e r to goverll or protect his f a m i l y . H i s wife could he made his m a s t e r ' s concubiue, his d a u g l ~ t e r could be outraged, his son whipl~ctl. o r h e h i ~ ~ i s rsold l f away witl~out his b ~ i ~ albg l e to proN a t u r a l l y , his a u t h o r i t y in his own test or lift a p r e v e ~ ~ t i finger. ~~g house was simply s u c h a.s could rest upon b r u t e force alone, a n d Ile eafiily sa.nk to a position of ~ n a . l e guest iu t,he house, w i t h o u t respect or responsibility. Fifthly, a11t1 c o r r e l a t ~ dt.o t h e last, w a s t h e absence of t h e mother. The slave unotl~er co111d spend lit,t,le o r no time a t honle. S h e wa,s either a field-hand o r a house-servant', a8nd her c l i i l d ~ , e ha,d ~ ~ little c a r e or attentio~l. SIIPwas often t.he c o n c u b i r ~ eof t,he niast,er o r his sons, .or, if u ~ l ~ n o l e s t e in t l t h i s qua,rter, w a s ~ n a r r i e t l to a husband w h o could not protect her, a n d fro111w h o m s h e could :tt a n y t i m e be p a r t e d by her ~llaster's con~~nan od r by his dent11 o r debts. S u c h a f a m i l y w a s n o t arl organisn~a t !:est; a n d , i n its wurst aspect, i t w a s a f o r t u i t o u s agglomeration of a t o m s From the tollowiup pictures of s l a v e honies one g e t s v a r y i n g d e g r e r s , ranging f r o u ~ t h c \vorst to t l ~ e best: The dwellillfd of the slaves were palmetto hut,s, built by themselves of stakes and ~xrles, thatched wit,h the palmetto leaf. The door, when they had any, was geuerally of the same materials, sometimes hoards found on the beach. They had uo floors, no separate apartments, except the Guinea Negroes had sometimes a small enclosure for their "god house." These huts the slaves built themselves after task and on Suudays.-Florida, 1830. The houses for the tield-slaves were about fourt,een feet square, built in the coarsest manner, wit11 oue l.oo~n,without auy chimuey or flooring, with a hole in the roof to let the smoke out.-South Carolma, 1819. The huts of the slaves are mostly of t,l~e poorest kind. They are not as good as those temporary shanties which are t,hrown up beside railroads. They are erected with lrosts and crotches, with hut little or no frame work about them. They have no stoves or chimneys; some ef the111h a r e somethiug like a fire, on the roof, to let off place at one end, and a hoard or two off at that ~ i d eor the Smoke. Others h a r e nothing like a fireplace in them; in these the tire is made in the middle of the hut. These buildings h a r e b a t one in theui ; the places where they pass iu and out serve both for doors and windows; t.l~e sides and roof are covered with coarse, aud in ulany instances with refused, hoards.-1840. O n old plautatious the Negro quarters are of frame and claplmards, seldom a f f o r d i ~a ~comfortable g sllelter fro111wiud or r a i n ; their size varies from 8 by loto 10 b,v 12feet, and six or eight feet high; sometimes there is a hole cut ? a windo\\-, t,ut I never saw $sash or glass in any. I n the new country antl I n the woods, the q ~ ~ a r t e are r s generally built of logs, of similar dimensions.
--lam.
50
A n l ( l n g f t all tile S e g r o cabins \ v h i c l ~ 1 s a w iu V i r g i n i a I c a n n o t ('all to ~"i,,~ n n e i l l \ v l r i l ~ lthe,-e r w a s an\- o t h r r floor t h a u I11e eartll ; a n > - t h i u g t h : ~ t a North. , l ~ i t e01. rtolore~l, \ronltl cnll :I hetl; uui. a solilarg e r n lat1orer or ~ u e c h a n i cw I,artitioll to a e l ~ a r a t e t h e $exes.-Virginia, IU!.
Tile slal-ee l i r e g e n e r a l l y in niiseral-11e 111lt.i.w l ~ i c ha r e w i t h o u t flours and h a r e aiuglf. n p a ~ . t ~ i i e u ct ~ulg, where 1 ~ 1 t h s e x e s :Ire h e r d e d p l ' o l ~ ~ i a c n ~ ~ ~ Y IS%. toFetl~er.-AIi,$so~~ri,
-.
1Tbe & b o \ a quottitiolls rlre fro111Weld's Sln\-er?na It Is. ? o l ~ n s r e ( lKeahu:lr~i : Slnvr Stntes, p. 11. ? I hid. 11. I J ~ . I!'-50.
The Country Home
51
ton~~ H Is III
o t l ~ r t .r e y i o ~ i s ~ , I I I H . I ~ ( : ~ ~ I ~p.a~v~eO rise I I
to a n a t , t e ~ n pto t s~~lr-
private c o ~ ~ t r a r t o r s ; t1111; \vas bo1.11tlit. C!onvict L ~ a , s e . S y s t e l n . M:III,V
52
tered here a n d there, no m i d d l e class dwellings-only the Big H O U 8 e and t h e slave-pen, a u d n o t h i n g between. T h e black larldholder could not t h i n k of building a lnansion and he therefore built a slave cabio with some few improvements. H e p u t a porch on t h e front, perhaps cut one or two windows, a n d a t l a s t added a lean-to on t h e hack for kitchen. H e beautified t h e y a r d a n d his wife m a d e some tasty arrangem e n t s indoors. If he went f u r t h e r t h a n thiq in the number of rooms or t h e f u r n i t u r e , the c h a n c e s a r e t h a t he got his new ideas from his friends who had moved to town. T h e attraction of town life w a s v e r y great t o t h e freed slave ~i~ few holidays and stolen pleasures in t h e past had centered there, and t h e whole aspect of concentrated life'therr pictured to him a long-cher. ished ideal of liberty. Many therefore a t the first c h a n c e lnigratetl to town, worked a s mechanics or laborers and built them holnes. The" found in town new i d r a s of s m a l l comfortnble dwellingpla.ces and s o m i of the111 built little two, t,hree a n d four-room houses such a,s mare never seen i n the country. F r o m t h e s r pa.ttern8 t h e c o u n t r y Negro learned, a n d two a n d three-room homes appeared here and there in the country. Still t h e reign of t h e one-room cabin was not seriously disputed, and a n investigation in a typica,l black-belt county shows 40?4 of t h e families in one room, 43j4 in two rooms, 10% in three rooms and 7% in four or more rooms. If these figures a.1.e t r u e for t h e South, 440,000 Negro r u r a l families still live in one room. L e t us now no tic^ more particularly whtlt a one-room home is and means. Of c,ourse i t h a s no peculiarly i n t i m a t e connection with the Negro or theSout,h. I t is t h e primitive a n d n a t u r a l method of dwelling of a l l men a n d races a t some time. T h e cave-dwellers, t h e American I n d i a n s , t h e F r e n c h peasants, t h e Americ.a.n pioneers, all lived in the one-room homes. 7Jnder certaiu conditions of life such homes may he ~onollly fairly comfortable. Given a rnnn a n d wife, t h e necessity of ec, of heat, a,n ac,tive outdoor life, a n d a scarcity of t h e finer sort of hnilding material, there can be no better home than t h e oltl roomy log hut with its g r e a t fireplace. A n increase in the n n m h e r of innlatcd, \lowever, or a decrease in t,he size of t h e house, or a. change i n the manner of life,can easily transform this kind of home into a v e r i t a b l e p e s t house. T h i s w a s exactly t h e history of t,he Negro's one-room cabin. Large families of children grew to m a t u r i t y in it under poor moral restraint a t best. T h e r e was not a,vaila.ble huilclinp ma.terial to provide h r g e houses, so t h a t t h e original houses w e r e brlilt sma.ller a n d then cut in ha.lves, wit,h a family in e i t h e r pzrrt, a n d then j a m ~ n e dclosely together s o a s to c n t off l i g h t a n d air. T h e in1provements since t h e w a r have tended towarcl t h e a.dclition of one room, Inore rarely two, and the changing of t h e building rnateria.1 fronl logs to s a w n l u ~ n b e r . T h e g r e a t defects of the Negro cwuntry home, however. a r e still plain. They 1na.y he classed under e i g h t chief h e a d s :
( a ) P o o l I,ig?zt. Glass windows i n t h e country Negro liolnes a r e the exception. T h e l i g h t enters therefole only ill pleasant w e a t h r r , a11d
The Country Home
53
tllPn chiefly from t h e open door o r one or two s m a l l a p e r t u r e s in t h e usually of t\vo or t,hree s q u a r e feet,. (b) Bad Air. A na.tura,l consequence of t h i s i s bad a,ir a n d a l m o s t no by s u n l i g h t o r ventilwtioii. There a r e plenty of corners never rea,cl~ecl fresh a.ir, a , ~ ~ a,s t lrooking, washing a n d sleeping go on in t h e s a m e room an accumulation of stale sickly odors a r e n ~ a , n i f e s to t e v e r y visitor. A t when t l ~ e a i r holes in t h e walls a.nd t h e doors a r e t i g h t l y from two to a dozen people sleep ill a condition of a i r which is f a t a l to Ilenlth. I n t h e older log-hut the chitlks in t l ~ e walls admittetl s o m e fresh air. 111 the Ilew board homes e v r u t h i s source i s s h u t off. One of the most f r u i t f l ~ sources l of l u n g disease alnoltg post,-bellunl Negroes is this wretcl~etlventilation ill t h e i r I ~ o m e s . ( c ) Luck of S ( t n i t a r y Appliunccx. A room so largely in use is with difficulty k e p t c1ra.n. T h e dish-water f o r m s a. pool beside t h e d o o r ; a n i n ~ a l s stra.y into t l ~ e ho~~st eh;e r e a.re eitllrr no privies o r bat1 o n e s ; facilities for batlring eve11 t,he face antl hantls a r e ])oc~r, antl t h e r e is almost no p r o v i ~ i o nfor washing o t h e r p a r t s of t h e b o d y ; t h e beds x t ' ~ filled wit11 vermin. T o b r ~ ~ e a a,ud , t t'idy in such Ilomes i s a l m o s t i m possible. Kow R , I I ~then one does filld a tiny cabin sllinilrg and clea.11, but this is not the rule. ((I) P o o r f'rotection A g u i n s l flre Weather. T h e a v e r a g e count,ry home leaks in t h e roof and ispoorly protected a g a i n s t clmnges i n t'he w e a t h e r . A hard s t o r n ~ meaus t h e s h u t t i n g o u t of a l l a i r a n d l i g h t ; cold weat,her leads to e r e r l ~ r n t i n g clmngh . ts, o r poor ventilation ; hot w e a t h e r b r e e d s diseases. T h e conditions a.re ape.ravatrd in cases w h e r e t h e huge oldfaslliouetl fireplace h a s been replaced by a poor s m o k y stove. (e) ( ' r o w d i n g . S o f a r a.s aetua,l sleeping space goes, t h e crowding cif human beings toaether ill t h e Black B e l t i s g r e a t e r t h a n in t h e t e ~ ~ e merit clist1,ict of large cities like New Y o r k . I n one black-belt county, out of 1174 Negro families living in t l ~ e c o a n t r y d i s t r i c t , 761 lived in one room, 560 in two roolns, 93 in t h r e e rooms a.nd 60 i n four o r more rooms. I n t h i s county there were 25 persons for e v e r y ten rooms of house a"Xolnlnodattiou, while in t h e worst t e n e m e n t d i s t r i c t s of N e w Y o r k there a r e not a.bove 2'2. From t h e single couple in one room i t w a s a n easy transition to large families with grown chilclrel~ occt~pying d i m i n u t i v e single-roo111dwellings. Sometimes ltla,rrird s o ~ o ~r s d a u g h t e r s continue t80live a,t h o m e , thus i r ~ t r o d u c i n g a second o r third f a l n i l ~ . . Finally t h e m i g r a t i o n of SoLlllg met1 in search of work a,t d i f f ~ r e l sea.sons ~t a,nd in differeut y e a r s in a c l a s ~ of m a l e lodgers. A s a result illany fi~nlilies ent.irely the physical h o m e and use i t only for sleeping a n d Iruddling tilrle of storm. Of rea.1 group f a m i l y life t h e r e is, in s u c h cases, lit,tle, and in t h i s a,bsence of group t,raining a n d presence of discomfort a n d t e m ~ t a . t i othere ~t develop untolcl evils.
( f ) PoovFootl. I n s u c h homes t h e ~ n a t t , eof r stori~~ a.nd g preparing food Rlld d r i n k is a serious problem. T h e well w a t e r i s oft,en t a i n t e d , o r
54
r tl~e nio~.:rlanti ~(111v:lt ions\ ~ f T e c t ( g ) Lrrr.k P r i r y c c y . h b o ~ all, lioi~lg ill one 1.oo1ll is very t ~ a t l . Of c.oc1t.w olle 111llst 110t StIp[)os~ that a11 ~ l l o ( l r s t , y a ~ Ilome ~ d t~.aii~in disnl)pear g ~llrciersuc.11 ~ ' i ~ c l l l i l s r a ~ r c ~ ~ Oftell t h e r e is peculia.r i n p e ~ ~ u i tin y guartli~ip.tlle c l r i l ~ l r ra11d ~ ~ i11(."1. tllc lack of a n y collsidrrahlr tleprce o f pricatilly gooti I ~ a l ~ i t s Still, vacy, t l ~ e tlitnculty or c l e a ~ ~ l i i j e sin s a ronlll so L I ~ I I C I I used, the crowd. R {I ~ I I~g a r iof t ylife. is 11o111id to l ~ i t v e its illll)l'~ss on tllp i u g R I I I~ I O ~ ~ ~ : ~ c.l~ildrrna,lltl to srlld t l ~ e i nillto t l ~ eworld satlly lacking i l l t h a t f i ~ l ~ r whicI1 ~ it is t l ~ r pev~~lia pro\~illee r of the 41.118e of prop,.irty i t ~ ~( tI i~ C P I I C I~o~n toe i ~ ~ ~ p a . r t .
811c.11 is a p i r t ~ ~ rof e t h e poorer h o ~ n r s of the 9rg1.1) in tlir counl~lacf!.'FLiere t r y d i s t r i c t s o f tile S o r l t l ~ . I t r a r i r s , of course, ill titlie nl~tl a r e s e c t i o n s wit,ll ~ n i i c hlnorr of sq~lltlor ili~cli n ( l f : t * ~ ~ tlla,!~ ~ c y I Ila,ve pictured. T h e r e a,re o t l l r r s r , c t i u ~ ~ rv11el.e s t,he 11o1nrsa r e largvr a , t ~ d tl~e c o ~ i t l i t i o ~pl.rat,ly is iml)rovetl. 0 1 1 tllr w l ~ o l e , however, the ollr and two~ I I P eo1Isrqliencrs a r e had I l ~ ; l l t l l bad , Illor:.oolll ~lilbilis still 1)revail a ~ l d a h , a11t1tlisaa,tisfacrion with co1111try life.
in tlle \-illages a u d i l l t,lre larger cities; a n d a s t l ~ rc o ~ l r s eof ~ ~ r b a n Ir ~~ ~i i l t,l~e co1111t1'y to the village, tlieu to t h e t o m rr~igratiouis I I S L ~ R f t,hat t , we devt~t.: sonle attcfntion :%lltltlleuce to t h e c i t y , it is i m p o r t a , ~ ~ to tlir f r e e r l i ~ l n ~h~ o'm s e i l l the villae.es of t h e B o r ~ t l ~ . ! h 'r ~ t The v i l l a g e c o u ~ i l ~ n l ~V iR t Iy . ~ H S ill size H I I ( ~l < i ~ ~ (J l . ~ n o primitive outlyiup fields, s o l i ~ e t l ~like i ~ i the ~ Geris a c l u s t e r uf f a . r ~ n housrs Illall ~ O I $ Tliis k i n d of c o n i m u ~ l i l y is I I I ) ~ivell tlrvc-lopetl in the Soutll,
The Village Home
55
rleigl~horingu ~ i n a u ~ rvilli~gc? d contain in a,II e1evt.11 fatnilies. with a11 ho~n~s, ~ I a. I f:1111ily. F i r e of tliese fa,lnilips o\rn t l ~ e i r average ( ~ tf , \ \ r l v ~ ~ \l v?l~ty 111i1es n.l~ilr tllc. r r s t relrt 0 1 1 s h a r e s . T h e f a r m s , being \ r i t , l ~ i t I J Atlanta, ~ wrr snla.1l-fro111 rille to r l e r c n n,(.res. Most of t h e I I O L I ~ P S a1.e rud~ly c:o~~struc.tetl of l o ~ o s r boards, nit11 ollr la.rgt?a.tltl one slnall rooln. ~ i t 1 t h e o l ~ e ~ ~\ v i~ l ~~ ic gls~ s r r v r a.s \vinclows. ant1 l'l~ereis u s ~ l r ~ l lI) .I glass Tsh . e la.rge room a l w a y s c o u t a i ~ l s tl~ry a r e cloxetl hg w o o d r n s l ~ ~ ~ t t e r several iwcls. R I I S ~OI~IP 1101ne-111adc' f u r ~ l i t u r e~ , o n s i s t i i of ~ gt a l ~ l e scl1i1i1.s , Ilar~ tllrre roollls ea.cl1, a11cl o n e ha,s five. ant1 chests. A f e w 110111~s 11t1at. I ; ~ j )ant1 t Xrlotlirr \-illace ~ I X I I I is ~ ) foulltl i l l Israel\-ille, P r i ~ ~ Etlward c~e ~ I I I I I I ~ ~ ~ I I , O 123 i ~ ~ h a I ) i t a ~ S ~ ~Ut Is I. I i11t111g I ~ ill a s t r : i g g I i ~ ~ C gO I I I V i r ; i ~ ~ i a ,H P I W t o E ' a r u ~ v i l l e t\vo . ~iiilrs di-t;~llt. unity ; I I I C ~ S O I . L I I ~ I ~ : a 6rrl.t of st11111rl) 26 faunilies oivn t l ~ e i rI ~ o l l ~ r as~ , l d tlir o t h r r t l ~ r e e 'Twenty-two of t l ~ e rent from c o l o r ~ d Ia,~~dlo~d Se\-e11 s. fillnilirs live i l l nrle-roonl log cab~~ c a h i ~ ~ s i.; ?., ill r a l ~ i n swith a l o n - ~ r ins; 11i11e live i l l t w o - i - o o ~log Tl1rc.e faniilirs live i l l t!lreepurpnses. ~p room a l ~ t l;I, l o f t Ior s l e r l ~ i ~ roo111 f r a l : ~ ~ IIOIISPF, x11d six i l l 110usesof four or 11io1.r I.O~)IIIS. The
$3.4~ a montll i l l re~rt,. Tllree o t h e r groups-oue Paging on at1 a,vPl,a,ge in Tuskegc~e,one ill &1aco11. Rlississippi, a n d olle i l l S a n f o r d , Florida. Present a. I ~ e t t e rpictu1.e. H e r e 41: fa.tllilie~of 220 ]wl,soLIS oc(:LIpy 2OY 'wms, 118 of i l l i c h a1.e sleepillg-roorl~s. Tllirty-five own t h e i r homes all(] 12 rent at all a y r r a g r ol' $3.27 a m o n t h . Perhaps \\-e can fillc! i l l F a r l ~ l v i l l r I'irpinia, , a s good a, picture i I S is ~ geographir w r l ""edetl of the s ~ ~ ~ a l I - t o life. \ v ~ r F a r n l r i l l e is I I A t~h e ter of H,II old slave Sta,te a ~ l t l ~ a , 2471 d iul~al,itt~.nts in 1900, of w h n m half O r "1Ol.r were Nc>groes. T w o Ilrl~~tlretl all tl s i x t y - two Negro fa1llilit.s in 1890 occ:upietl honles a s follows:
56

P
I
I lnemher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P-3 ruenlhers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-i; meu~bers ............... 7-10 ~nemhers.. ................. 11 01. lnore memhers . . . . . . . . . . .
F A M I L I E S OCCUPYING DWELLINGS o w
-Total lun~illes. . . . . . . . . . 17 Totxlroo~ns . . . . . . . . . 17 2%
T h e one-room cabills a r e rapidly clisappearing f r o m the t o w l ~ . ~~~~l~ a l l of t h e 17 a r e old log cabins. T h e y h a v e one or two glass windows,. .a door, a.nd a stone fireplace. T h e y a r e 15 or 20 feet sqlla.1.e. The 134 tworoom homes a,re mostly t e n e m r n t s : a large, cheaply-built frame house i s constructed so a s t o contail) two such tenements. T h e upper room i s o f t e n used a s t h e k i t c h e n , asnd t h e lower a.s living a n d sleeping-room. T h e rooms a r e 15 a n d I 8 feet s q u a r e a n d h a v e two windows. Threer:)on~ honses a r e geuerally owned hy their occupants. and a r e neater t h a n the tenements. T h e y a r e usua.lly tiny new fl'a'me structures, with two rooms, one above t h e o t h e r i n front. a n d a. small one-story addition a t the back for a k i t c h e n . To this a s m a l l ver;tnda is often added. Four-room honses h a v e e i t h e r a room above t h e kitchen o r a r e like the clouhle tenements. F e w of t l ~ e houses h a v e cellars a n d m a n y a r r poorly Imilt. T h e locations. Ilowever, a r e usually healthful a11d the water good. Gardens a r e generally a t t a c h e d . Six a n d a h a l f per c w t of the per cetlt in two rooms, 17.2 per cent it) families live in one r o o ~ n 51.1 , t l ~ r e erooms; t h e r e a r e 1.6 persous to a room. a n d nearly three rooms mostly to a family. Forty-three a n d a half per c e n t own their I~olnes, 148 t e n a o t s , 16 r e n t from S e g r o landf r o m two to f i r e rooms. Of t l ~ e lords.
To the above 1na.y be a d d e d , by w a g uf c o ~ n p a r i s o n , 21 s h o r t account is a town . of Covingt,on, an.,t h e county seat. of N e x t o n c o u ~ ~ t vThis a,h ~ o,n t e v e ~ ~ l divided g betweell t,he races. I n the of 2000 i n h a b i t a ~ ~ t surrounding c o u n t r y t h e r e a r e m a n y s m a l l c o t n m ~ ~ u i t i ecomposed s entirely of Negroes, which f o r m clans of blood r e l a t , i v ~ s . A few of these s e t t l e n ~ e n t sa r e n e a t a n d thrifty, b u t m o s t of t h e m h a v e a dirty, elliftless a i r , with one-room c a b i n s a n d numbers of filt.hy children. Such c o ~ n m u u i t i e sfuruish t l ~ e ~ n i g r a u t s for t h e t,o\vus. I n Covington there a r e a few onr-room c a b i n s , h u t t h e a v e r a g e family occupies two or three rooms. T h e houses a.re a l l one-story, a n d a commoli type is t h a t of two rooms wit,h a h a l l between, a.nd s o r n e t i ~ n e sa kitchen attached to t h e back e n d of t h e 11a.ll. Oft,en t l ~ e r e is also a front porch. T h e r e a r e detailed s t a t i s t i c s a v a i l a b l e for fifty of the better-class famihoines lies. Fort,y-one of these own t h e i r homes a n d nine rent. T l ~ e consist of
The Village Home
Two rooms, . . . . Three rooms, . . . Four rooms, . . . Five rooma or more,
. . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
I )
11 14 13
111 all, 188 individuals occupy 181 rooms. T h e r e is also a lower element in t h e town a n d a g r w t d e a l of idleness a n d loafing, arising i n part from t,he irregularity of work a t c e r t a i n seasons of t h e year. On the outskirts of t h e town a,re m x u y dives a n d ga.mbling-dens w h e r e liquor i s sold. On S a t u r d a y nights t h e r e is m u c h disorder here. T h e more thrifty Negroes buy ho,ines on installinents, p u t t i n g up, often, one room a t a time. until t h e y g e t a two or three-room home. I n S e n i a , Ohio, we ha.ve t,hese homes: 1
A-e~~irc, O., Ftcmilies b y Xize of F a m i l y a x d ,VUIII,D~T of R o o m s to cc Dzuellivg

. . . .
I
FA>lILIF:S
OCCUPYIN14 DWELLINGS O F
I niemlwr . . . . . Smerril~crs . . . 4 11ieulhCvs . . . . . 6 lnrnibrrs . . . . . 6 Ineti~brr.;. .... 7 iiieuil~crs . . . 8 rnemhrrs . . . . !I ~nemhers ....... 10 members . . . . . 11 men~hers. . . . . l? rnemhers . . . . . . 13 members . . . . . . 14 nlriuhers . . . . . Total Fnmilies
P memhers . . . . . .
I n iYegro village life i s t h e growing differentiation of conditions. Upon t h e country Negro just emerging from t h e backwoods, t h e village life acts a,s a stimulus. L e f t to theinselves, t,o c h a n c e surroundings and chance a,cquaintances, a n d ahove a l l to c h a n c e openings for work, the new-comers rise o r fall. T h e successful ones give t h e first evidence of awakening in improved housing-more rooins, h r g e r windows, nea,t,er furnit,ure, t h e differentiation of sleeping-room, kitchen a n d Parlor, a n d general i m p r o v e m e n t in tidiness a n d taste. T h e worst i m n l i g r m t s sink into village s l n m s , w h e r e vice by conceutration a n d example assumes da.rrgerous fawns. T h e f a c t i s often noted t h a t there is more vice alnong village Negroes t h a u in t h e country. T h i s is true, but nreds to t ~ e supported t)y t h e adclit.iona1 fa'ct t h a t t h e village also shows more civilized classes of Xegroes.
___Z
'Bullet111 of the Uuited Statrs Burenu of Lnbor, No.
48.
58
Between these ext,reme classes t h e m a s s of Negroes waver in their struggle for existence. I n somt. towns t h e majority a r e home-ovrners a n d on t h e rise; in others t h e balance i s toward t h e bad. I f , however, t h e chances a r e gainfi fit t,he Negro in t h e village, one thing is certaill: he seldom returns to t h e farm. Quickened by t h e village life he passes on to t h e town a n d city to t r y a.gain. Or h e m a g have some success in t,he village a n d b e fired with ambition for larger fields. Finally the taste for vice in t h e village s l u m m a y send criminals a n d degenerates to conlplicate t h e city problem, N o r t h a n d Sonth. T h e village. then, is a clearing-house. I t stimulates a n d differentiates; i t passes no materia,l-good, bad a n d indifferent-to larger centers, a n d unfortunately sends few b a c k t o country life to s t i m u l a t e t h e people there. I n 8 peculiar sense, than, t h e village home-the problem of housing the Negro in t h e s m a l l e r towns of t h e Sout,h-is peculiar. Good homes a t t h i s point would send out children h e a l t h y in body and soul to the c i t y on t h e one h a n d a n d , wit,h little additional effort, to the country on t h e other. You c a n with diRc,ulty send t h e city boy to t h e country, for i t is a,n unknown l a n d ; b u t t h e village boy knows t h e country partially, a,nd properly-directed effort m i g h t be t h e inspiraton of neat vil1a.g~homes in t h e weird a n d arid waste of log cabins along t l ~ e country side.
Section 11. The City Home. (a) The S l u m s o,f Allantw. Atlanta i~ a typical post-bellum city a n d h a d , in 1900, 37,727 Negroes. This growi n g c i t y is built on t h e foot of t h e Alleghanies, a series of great round-topped mounds, which presents m a n y difficulties in drainage a n d grading. T h e city i s circular in f o r m a n d over half of t h e Negro population i s crowded into t w o wards, one on t h e e a s t and the other on t h e west s i d e of t h e city. T h e nucleus of Negro population in Souther11 cities is t h e alley. I t is seen a t its worst in t h e slums of Charleston, S a v a n n a h , Washington, a crowding-a co~lgrstion of and such cities. I t r e p r e s e ~ ~ essentially ts populatioll-an a t t e m p t to utilize for dwellings spaces ina.clequate and unsuited to t h e purpose, a n d f o r m s t h e no st r r u s h i n y - - inrlictlnent of t h e modern landlord system. Attenti011 h a s lately been directed to t h e tenement-house abominations, b u t little h a s been said of the equally pestilential a n d dangerous alley. T h e typical alley i s a develo p m e n t of t h e b a c k y a r d space of two usua.lly decent houses. I n the h c k y a r d spaces h a v e heen crowded little two-room dwellings, cheaply constructecl, badly lighted a n d v e n t i h t e d , a.nd with inadequate ~anitary arrangements. 1 1 1 A t l a n t a t h e badly drained and dark holl o w s of t h e city a r e threaded with these alleys, u s ~ ~ a l unpavetl ly a d m u d d y , a n d furnishing inviting nests f o r questiolla,ble c h a r a c t a ~ ~ s The . worst t y p e of these homes is t h e onr-room cabin with sidings of anfinished boards r u n n i n g u p a,nd d o w n ; 110 ceiling or pl;lst,ering, no windows, no paiut,, a n open fireplace, a n d the! whole of this checrlcas box s e t directly on t h e g r o u ~ l t lwithout , cellar o r foundation. N e x t to these
The City Home
59
colne two-roum houses, built ill t h e s a m e w a y , b u t with one o r two windows and still without porch, hlintls, o r fence. Such cabins a r e so crowded togcther t h a t t h e y nearly touch each o t h e r , a n d t h e s u u m u s t g ~high t beforc it c a n be seen from these alleys. Sometimes such rooms are papered inside hy t h e inmates. T h e y a r e 14 or 15 feet square a n d 8 or 10 feet Iiiqh. T h e f u r n i t u r e is scarce-a bed or two, a few chairs, a table, a stuve or fireplace, a t r u u k or chest. T h e floor is hare, a n d there nre no pictures. Sometimes s i x or eight persons live in two such rooms wid pay $1.50 a month or more for r e n t ; sometimes a s much a s $4.00. These houses have w a t e r outside in a well or s t r e e t h y d r a n t ; t h e outhouses are used in conlmou by several tenants. Probably twenty per in A t l a n t a fall i n t o t h i s class. cent of the hTegro I I O L I I ~ S The surrounclings of these homes a r e a s bad a s t h e homes. 111 t h e third ward most of t h e streets a r e in very bad condition, t h e longest of the111 having paved sidewalks only a b o u t half t h e i r length, w h i l e t h e shorter o n r s a r e not p a r e d a t all. T h e streets a r e of soft red clay, without gravel o r cobhle stones. In the first ward, o a t of 25 typical liomea, 4 had no water on the premises, 13 had wells (which are dangerous in Atlanta and apt to he infected hy sewage), 9 used hydrants in tlie yards or on the streets. Only four had direct sewer connections. Conditions a s to light a n d air vary, h u t ill geueral there is less to complain of here, s a v e t h a t t h e careless construction of t h e houses m a k e s tlie suddeu changes of tempt.mture in the winter peculiarly trying. T h i s lack of protection in winter is ~ n a d e worse by t h e contlitions of the foundations. Most of the houses a r e perched on wooden or brick pillars, allowiug unchecked circulation of air b r ~ ~ e a t h - aboon in s u m m e r , a danger in winter. T h e Poor drainape of m a n y of t h e hollows between t h e hills where these alleys lie gives rise to m u c h s t a g n a n t water, pools a n d t h e like, a n d t h e unfil~isheclsewer system often leaves masses of filthy s e d i m e n t near these homes. In the fifth w a r d , one of t h e poorer sections, a n A t l a n t a University Senior made the following e s t i ~ n a t e s : 30 per cent of the families live in 1 room. 4' '6 'I 2 rooms. 40 " '6 " " 3 rooms. 15 " Of the hnusers. 60 per cent were plastered inside. 50 per cent were painted outside. About half t h e dwelt in districts which m a y be designated "slams," althougtl m a n y of these were respectable people. Only 35 Per cent of the homes looked clean a n d neat. T h e r e were five persons to every two roolns in t h e district, a n d three persons tu every two beds. Sixty per c e n t of t h e homes h a d practically no pards, and 95 per cent of the homes were rented.
The City Home
61
Europeans, and these districts a r e considered to he about t h e worst slums in the city. T h e fourteenth and fifteenth wards a r e n o t q u i t e so bad, b n t t h e &treet,swhere t,he Negroes live consist of houses t h a t a r e dirty a n d o u t of repair, if n o t actually i n a tumhle-down condition. W a r d s 22 a n d 23 lie west of 1-1 and 15, and a r e of a distinctly better character. T h e y contain a better class of Negroes, the professional and successful business men. T h e houses in t,he Negro streets a r e comfortable and i n fairly good condition, on t h e average, and rnany a r e owned by t h e occupant. T h i s is a comparativelp old sect,ion of the town, autl tlru houses now ocrupied by Ncgrocs were huilt by well-to-rlo w h i t e resicleuti who have s i n r e moved f a r t h e r west. M-ard 23 iucludes also ;I poor quarter l y i n g along t h e railroad t r a c k s in low land which was once marshes. T h e r e is a considerable n u m b e r of Kegroes also i n wards 2 5 . and 26, which are very desiralde resideuce sections. T h i s n u m b e r represents chiefly domestic servants, b u t there a r e also two or t h r e e s e t t l ~ n i e n t s of well-to-do Kegroes on certain street,^. T h e 865 in W a r d 18 a r e nearly all sorvan ts. X u gcneral, i t is trne tlrat t h e N e g r o e s are allnost ahsent from the sections of the city where there is a large foreign ~ w p n l a t i o u ant1 , t h a t , w i t h not,ablc exceptious, they nre concentrated ill the worst honses of t h e worst sections, wlrercver t h e 11:~tural l a y of t h e 1;rntl or t h e unpleasant accessories of civilizat,ion, such as railroads and factories, m a k e residence undcsirahlc. T h e overcrowding of rooms is a fact for which no statistics a r e available, but it is none the leas a fact. . . . The hospitality of the Negroes, and their willingness to take in a n y friend who tiutls himself without a home, receives n o check from t h e law. There are no S l a t e regulations concerning tenement houses, and t h e c i t y ordiuances go only so far as to class t h e m undcr"nuisancesl' w h e n t h e y do n o t have%dequaten sewerage, draiuage, vcntilatiou, chirnneys, halls, staircases, and "all reasouable precantious aud provisions i n every other p a r t ~ i c u l a r , a u d adequate space for all occupauts, so t h a t t h e occupancy of said huildiug or a n y apartlnenl, shall not tw dangerous to life or health." U n d e r such provisions i t is not surprising tlrat the a g e n t of tlic Provident Association should fiud recently fourteen Negroes living i n one room. The Negroes a r e k e p t i n these undesirahle localities n o t wholly by their own faults and incompete~ice,but partly by t h e obstacles which they encounter when they t r y to go iuto a better neighborhood. No landlortl wishes to have Negro tenants come into his houses, because i t m e a n s a depreciatiou of the property soouer or later. W h e n a Negro family moves into a street it gmexallg happens t h a t t h e w h i t e residents give place either to more Negroes o r to a much inferior class of whites. T o keep u p t h e c h a r a c t e r of t h e Street, therefore, or to reintburse himself i n advance for t h e depreciatiou which Ire foresees,the lantllortl resorts to discriminating rents. A Negro going into a house previously occwpied by a w h i t e family is ohliged to pay from 2 0 per c r n t to 50 per cent morc t h a n his predecessor. h certain house i n 'l'ard 25, for instance, rented for $2.5 per month to w h i t e tenants, but a Negro was asked $40. This is true even in t h e poorer districts. T h e r e a r e some three-room flats in \\'arc1 14 \\.hicli were occupied u n t i l recently \vhite people paying $8.01, p e r m o n t h ; the Negroes living there now a r e "hargecl $13. Sometimes when a Xegro family moves i n t o a "\r.hit,e" street the themselves u n d t ~ r t a k e to deal w i t h the question. . . . 111 t h e last ten years tllr cwndition of t h e S e g r o e s in St. Louis has improviid rousider:tbly, aud general observation shows t h a t one accompai;irnent of this i m ~ r o v e l u e u has t been t h e a c q ~ ~ i s i t i o of n property, hot.11 for husiness purposes
62
alld for homes. T h e discriminating rents already referred t'o have had some ,iufluence in this discretion, for t h e more ilitelligeut and more able N~~~~~~ have seen t h a t i t would be cheaper in the long run to buy t11t.ir houses th an to r e n t them.
( n ) TYL(~hiwgton. 1 T h e National (:apital was evidently intended to t ~ e a c. ItY of homes. T h e original lots a r e of generous dimensions a n d front upon broad sireets and avenues. These lots provided ample r o o ~ nfor separate houses wit,h space for yards i n the f r o n t and rear, and t h e squares were laid our such a manner as to give access, by alleys, t,o t h e r e a r of each lot. This plan prohahly had in view t h e location of stahles o n the alleys, in t h e rear of each . land became house. As the cit,y grew the original lots were suhdivided, aud a tilore valuable a majority of t h e residences were huilt in blocks, with party walls, iustead of being detached villas with light on all sides. Naturally, in portions of t,he city devoted to husiiiess, this was t h e usual methodof building from t h e outset, a n d these dwellings and stores were, as a rule, hronght to the very front ~f t h e lot,, thus leaviug a considerable space in the rear, as the original lots were generally from 1(N) to '700 feet in depth. T h e owners of l~roperty, a s land values increased, sonletirueu sold off rear l)ortious of their lots, a n d sometimes huilt sinall houses, facing the alleys, whirh they were able to let a t rent,als which gave them a high rate of interest on their money. These houses were oft,en cheap flame strnctnres, which paid for themselves within a few years. I n other cases t'hey were of brick. As a general rule, the rooms were srnall and t,he first floor was on a level wit11 the ground, without a n y rentilatiou under it. A s a resnlt of this, t h e sills soon hecaine rotten, and dampness fro111 t h e ground callre through t h e floors. As a rlile, also, there was no water in the honse and no sewer connections. Water was often obtained hy all of the residents of a n alley froin a single h y d r a u t at the corner, a n d hox privies were i n general nse. Many c h e a p f r a m e and brick l~onses were also h i l t upon t h e streets a n d avenues of t h e c i t y prior to the adoption of proper huilding regulations, and these exist t,oday, in a more or less dilapidated condition, often i n proximity to haudsonie new dwellings. Many of these old houees a r e o n valuable ground, and they serve to pay t,axes until such time as the owner can sell his gronnd a t a tiprue which he considers satisfactory. . . .
ii
T h e civil w a r b r o u g l i t a. l a r g e i n f l u x of N e g r o e s : I t is estimated t h a t from RO,IHY to 40,INHl Negroes from neighboring States came to this city a t t h a t time. These nufortunate and ignorant people werc obliged to avail themselves of a n y kirid of shelter they could find. In many cases rough hoard s h a c k s wit,h leaky roofs w e r e occupied for years by growi n g families, and r e u t s were paid ont of all proportion to the value of the property or the means of t h e tenant. Industrious colored men, whose labor woalrl only command from a dollar to a dollar a n d a half a day, and hardworkiiip colored wolneu, whose lives had been s p e n t over t,he washtub, have I~eenohliged to pay, year after year, for shelter of t,he most indifferent kind, a n a n ~ o u u which t has yielded the landlord tweuty per cent, or more, on his investment.
T h e f o l l o w i n g e x t r a c t s f r o m t h e r e p o r t of t h e 11~alt11 officer will show t h e c o n d i t i o n s e x i s t i n g ten y e a r s a f t e r t,he C i v i l War: Leaky roofs, I ~ r o k e na n d filthy ceilings, dilapidated tloors, overcrowded,
1 Rternherg:
Report of Committee on Bulldmg Model Hollies
The City Home
63
[)elow grade, having s t a g n a n t water underneath, no drainage, no pnre wat.er supply, no tire protection, having filthy y a r d ~ , d i l a p i d a t e d filthy , privy and leaky privy hox, in had ~ a n i t a r ycondition generally, and unfit for h u m a n habitation, descrihed, with few exceptions, t h e conditions of these hovels where the poorest class of our p o p d a t i o n s t a y out their miserable existence, and for w h i r h they pay rents v a r y i n g from 2250 to $10.00 per month. . . . As specific examples of o\-ercrowding, a t a l a t e r date, I quote from t h e report of Miss DeGraffcnried, published i n 18'36:: One conclusion a t least i s evident,, t h a t rents in these alleys a r e clear, considering the acc,om~nodationsand environment. Moreover, the moral consequeuces of snch narrow quarters a r e often disastrous. ('rowded sleeping roolns contrihute to vice a n d indecency. Indeed, crowcling goes on to a n extent not acknowleclgetl to the canvasser by the tenants. A t n i g h t these poor roofs shelter rna.ny more people than are here reported. I ha\-e no doul)t t h a t lodgers are harhored in these alleys whose presence, for m a n y reasons n o t creditable to the occupants, is a 1 w a . y ~ c:onccaled. The confessed facts a r e s t a r t l i n g enough. W e have here acc80nntsof seven persons living in two rooms-the n l o t l ~ e rand h e r sons 21, 17 and 5 years of age, o c c ~ ~ p y i n one g bed-chan~her. i\gain, nine individuals live in two rooms ; eleven people in four rooms. Five, almost all adults, sleep in one room-the mother 43, a son 21, and daughters 19, 17 and 14; and four persons use a n o t h e r room-a lnother 45, a n a u n t TO, a son 22, and a baby 9 m o n t h s old. . . . Deauwood, East l k a n w o o d and Burrville a r e scattered villages, merging into each other, and situated along t h e Chesapeake Reach R a i l w a y ; here dwell colored people almost entirely. T h e villages a r e for the most p a r t composed of new and respectable cottages owued b y their occltpants. H e r e a n d there m a y be seen dilapidated shacks occupied, while alongside stand8 a n e w cottage empty a n d for rep t. Barry F a r m is situated on t h e out skirt,^ of Anacostia; this is another Negro settlelneut, and is a curious m i x t u r e of comfortahle cottages, even handsome homes, owued hy well-to-do rolorrd people, a n d tumbledown hovels t h a t b r i n g e x o r l ~ i t a n rents. t Garfield and Good H o p e a r e also colored communities o n t h e order of B e r r y Farm ; these villages a r e situated on the hills t o the e a s t of Anascotia. T h e majority of t h e houses here arc owned by their occnpants There a r e no ptthlic service advantages i n these outlying regions, w i t h t h e exception of public water supply in I v y C i t y ; bnt e v e n here t h e people d o n o t have water w-ithin their houses, nearly always obtaining i t from t h e street hydrant. The c~onlmunitierjust described a r e t h e only considerahle aggregations of People of the lahoring class to he found w i t h o u t t h e city limits. T h e character of old dwelli~lga located in them is little hetter than wewould condemn within the city. S o t h i n g is being done to i r n p r o ~ e the qnality of dwellings, a n d t h e new dmelliugs a r e of t h e cheapest kind. Moreover, t h e people w h o live in these suburban places a r e n o t t h e pick and shovel men, t h e c a r t drivers, the hod carriers, the stable men, of the city. T h e y a r e for the most p a r t more illdependent folk, such as messengers and skilled laborers in t h e departments; colored men w h o n-ork f r o m place to place a s porters, waiters, or house-servants, a n d w h o k e e p their wives a n d children in these little homes. 'rhey are the k i n d who will not rest until they own "a little place in t h e country," i t matters lit,tle w h a t sort of dwelling m a y be upon t h e "l~lace!~ The worst ho\-els are occnpied hy driftwood: widows w h o subsist hy doing laundry work for the u ~ i g h b o r sin hetter circumsta.nces; old people, sup-
64
1)orterl hy sons and daughters in the city, ant1 the children of the son8 and daughters. . . . The company organized under t h e ahove charter from Congress [The washingt,on Sanitary Housiug Company] succeeded in securing stock subscriptions sufficient to jnstify i t in commencing building operatious and in OctoheT, 1(1@4, tweuty houses had been completed a n d were occupied Ily colored tenants. Seventceu of these honses were on Van Strcet S.W. The flabs of three roo~us and a hat11 mere rented for seven dollars per month for Itrwer and seven and one-half dollars per n ~ o n t hfor upper flats. T h e o w - r r ~ o m flats were rented for eight and eight and one-half dollars per t ~ o l l t h .This is a n average of VL.26 per room. I t should he remembered t,hat each of these flats has a good-sized hathrooru, with a h a t h t u h and ;t modern water-closet. There is a r a n g e with water-hack i n the kitchen, a n d a small coal fitove in the f r o u t room. T h e hot-water boiler connected with t h e kitchen range is placed in t h e b a t h r o o ~ n and f u ~ n i s h e s u f i c i e n t h e a t t'o m a k e i t comfortahle. These flats have now heen occupied b y colored tenants, mostly day iaborers,foT nearly fonr years. They a r e in snch demand t h a t there is const,antly a waiti n g list of applicants in case a flat becomes vacant. Isfany of the present tenants have occupied their flats since t h e 11ouseswere cornpleted. The repairs rey~lired have not been excessive, a n d there has been very litt'le loss from ravancies or failure to collect rents. . . . I n t h e city of Washington the death rate anlong t h e colored population, in 1x75, w a s 4L86 per t,housaud. I n 1906 i t had fallen to 48.81 per thousand. A11lo11g t h e whites i t was '31.04i u 1675, ant1 in l H W i t had fallen to 15.16. TO \I-hat e x t e n t this tlecliue in death rate is clue to improvement in housing conditions it is in~possihle to say, but no doubt there has been some in~prorement, and this one of the factors which accounts for one of the grarlual reduction of our d e a t h rat,e f r o m t h e disgracefully high figures of twenty-five or thirty years ago.
Section 12. City Homes of the Better Class. dtlcc?~.icc. Scattered a , m o n g o t h e r h o m e s a u d graciua.lly s e g r r g a t i u g t h :mselves i n better class t l i s t t ~ i c t sis a. gromirtg calass of N e g r o h o m e s belouging to the r i s i n g g r o u p s of N e g r o e s . T h e s e 1101nes a r e o f t e n 1111110ticedhecta,use t h e y a r e n o t d i s t i r ~ ~ ~ ~ i s l i farh ol m e corrrsl)o~~din w gh i t e I ~ o n ~ easn , d so are continually o r e r l o o k ~ t l . 111 :i.n a d d r e s s t o t h e N e g r o e s nf R o s t o n , Ma,ss., Mr. (3eorge W. Cable s a i d : " T h e r e is a n o t i o n a m o n g S o u t h e r n people, w h i c h i s n o t confined to t h e m , . . . b u t w h i c h is up011 t h e t o n g u e s of N e g r o leaders-the n o t i o n t h a t i t is higllly i r n p o r t ' a n t t h a t t h e N e g r o sh0111d be k e p t on the w t ~ i t em a n o u g h t to l ~ l a ~ ~ t a t i oT nh . a t is f d s e . I say i t because s u n ~ e sag it,. W h a , t is civilization ? T h e c i t y f y i u g of a people o r nmking t,lleln w h a t a c i t y m a k e s t h e m . T r u e , t h e c i t y 11a.s m a n y tt.1-nptations, a n d m a , n y nlen a n d w o m e n g o t o s h i p w r e c k t h e r e . R u t i t orilg means ti Inore e n e r g e t i c process of s e l e c t i o n , a,nd as m u c h its s o m e g o down, o t h e r s g o 1113." of N e g r o e s i r ~ t o c i t i e s m a y 110, i t is W h a t e v e r o u r v i e w s of t h e i ~ r f l u x c l e a r t l ~ a t h e r e a l o n e c a n w e find a c l a s s of N e g r o h o ~ n e sfully equal A d e t e r m i n e d effort t o t h e h o m e s of t h e w h i t e s . T h i s i s s i g ~ ~ i f i c a u t . t i a s b e e n m a d e , e s p e c i a l l y d u r i n g t h e r e a c t i o n of l a t e r y e a r s , to judge
City Homes of t h e Better Class
65
and the Kegro hg his worst and lowest type. E v e n r e l ~ u t r df r i e ~ l t l s leaders of the race h a v e been zealous in laying hare the weaknesses of the race and llolding its fanlts up to ridicule a u d condemnation. Some of this has heell justified by a real desire to k n o w t h e t r u t h , b u t i t h a s e of the m a j o r i t y of gone so fa.r toda,y a s to obscure, almost, i n t , l ~ eyes Americans, the existellc3eof a class of intelligent h n e r i c a , n citizens of Negro blood who rqrresent a s good citizenship, a s pure homes and a s worthy success a s any class of their fellows. They may be fonnd to some extent in t h e country. B u t t h e country was peculiarly t,llr seat o f slavery antl i t s blight still rests so heavily on the land tha,t the class of Negro f w r n e r s who ca,n compare wit11 tlle best. white f a r m e r s of t h e Nort,ll a n d W e s t is very s n ~ a l l . I n t h e cities, bowever, t,he Negro llas had his c h a n c e to learn. H e has beeu quickened and taught. H e him schools and contact 1vitl-r c u l t u r r , and in those cases where h e has heell able to stand normal competition a,nd abnornlal prejudice he can, ill a large number of cabes point to homes which equal t h e best American hon~es-not. to h c srlre, in wealt~h or size, but in cleanliness, p11rit.v and b r a n t y . T h i s class is sma,ll a n d grades quickly down to llomes wllich may 1)r criticized; a,nd still, a s representing the best, there is good a r g u m e n t for calling these a t least as characteristic of t h e race, a s t h e a l k y hovels. A race has a right to be judged by it,s best. To illnstrate this point l e t n s t a k e t h e best Negro homes of A t l a n t , ~ . , Georgia.. T h e y a.re h r g e l y h o ~ n e s of the g r a d u a t e s of A t l a n t a University, and t l ~ e i rowllers a r e teachers, mail-carriers, m e r c h a n t s a n d professional lTlel1. These llolnes were t h u s described i n the reports of t h e class in suciology of t h i s institution i n 1900: "They a r e good-sized o n e and two-story homes, h a v i n g h a t l ~ r o o n ~ and s w a t e r in t h e house. a n d in many cases g a s a.nd electric-bells. There m e seven or e i g h t rooms, each with t,wo or more windows, a n d both t h e house and furnishings are in good condition. T h e r e a r e f r o m ; four to s i x occupants. T h e Pa'rlors and some of t h e o t h e r rooms h a v e tiled hearths, a n d there is usually a pia.no or organ in t h e home. T h e walls a r e painted or papered, the windows have white c u r t a i n s a n d shades. I n a l l cases these houses are owned by t h e occupants." A few houses a r e inore elaborate t,ban this, b u t this is a fair description of those t h a t a r e referred to in this section. A detailed description of t w o o r t h r e e of these homes will m a k e t h e S t r e e t i s built on brick picture more vivid. N u m b e r 32 N o r t h Pillars with lattice-work between. T h e house is painted without a n d within, plastered, a n d t h e woodwork varnished. T h e kitchen is ceiled in yellow pine. T h e house is of t w o stories o n a l o t 60 by 100 f e e t , a n d has gas a n d water. On t h e first floor there is a hall 13 x 12% x 11 feet, with two windows; a parlor 179; x 11!,, a nursery, pantry, dining-roonl and kitchen. T h e parlor h a s a piano, a n d t h e r e a r e open fireplaces with tiled mantles, b u t , a s is usual i n t h e S o u t h , n o other heating &PParatus. The second story is like t h e first, save t h a t there is no room Over the kitchen. T h e r e a r e four l~eclrooms antl a bath. There a.re eight
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66
in t h i s family and t h e y own t h e house. Street, is a f r a m e house two stories h Aootller home, 160 igh, with eight rooms. I t i s a long, narrow house, w i t h a, hall runninR the whole length 011 one side. Two rooms a r e papered, t,he rest whitefinished. There is a double parlor with piano, a dinillg-roorn and kitchen on the first floor, f o u r bedrooms a n d a bath on the Second. T~~ f u r n i t u r e is good, and a l l t h e r o o ~ n sa r e carpeted s a v e the kitchen T h e r e are seven inmates, alld they own the house. Ttle favorite type of house here for s m a l l families is one-story. S t r e e t is one-story, w ~ a t h e r b o a r c l e d , plast,ered and house a t 260 painted, built on a brick foundation a n d uicely furnished. I t has five rooms: one parlor 16 x 14 with a parlor set, carpet, table, sofa, four chairs and a piano; two bedrooms with s e t s of f u r n i t u r e ; a diningroom, with a nice dining-t'able, three cliairs, a refrigemtor and 8ide. board. The kitchen h a s a stove, table a n d cupboard. There are two ilinlates who have owned t h i s property for seven yea'rs. Outside ie a garden, with henhouse a n d woodhouse. Such hollies a.s these a r e typical of t h e class with which we a r e deal. ing. These are, of course, exceptional, when one considers the great m a s s of Negroes of A t l a l ~ t ~a ,n ; d y e t , of over a, t h o l l ~ ~ ~1101nes icl of 811 types studipd by Atlanta University s t u d e n t s in 1900, about forty were placed in this select class. If a m o n g the Negroes of the South two per cent of the homes of the freedmen ha,ve reached this type, it is a most extraordi~mryaccomplishment for a single generation. I n the country the percentage of comfortable homes is small, cevtainly not over one per cent and i n m a n y places less. I n the t o w ~ ~ an sd cities, on t,he other hand, the percentage must often rise to five per cent and sometimes more. A n y more definite statemellts than these would he purely conjectural. There are some criticisms t h a t ctm be brought against this c1a.s~ of homes, although they apply r q u a l l ~ well to the similar class of white of space there is a certain tiornrs in the Sonth. First, in the ~ c o n o m y can easily he traced to clilack of coziness ant1 convenience, w h i c l ~ rna.tic and social reasons. T h e log-cabin, so prevalent a generation since, was essentially a square box. Other rooms were made b y a d d ing, riot by subdividing. S o t h a t today throughout t h e South the houses give one the inlpression of scparate rooms in juxtaposition, r a t h e r than of a house subdivided according to convenience a n d relative nse of rooms. Long d r a u g h t y halls, high sombre ceilings, a n d stiff square walls are the usual thing. Moreover, the kitchen contains a whole social history. I n N e w E o g l m d , where the mothers a n d their ancestors for generations have spent most of their time workirig in kitchens. this important part of the house has developed into a great, clean, sunny room, with a b u n d a n t veutilation and ample working a n d storing space. In the S o u t h , where the kitchen was the doma,in of an alien race alld servile caste, i t was actually cut off entireky from the house, a n d sat alone cramped and small, i n the back yard. Today it has gradually fastened itself to the house again, b u t with a n imobtru-
. City Homes of t h e Better Class
67
sive,apologetic air. I t s t i c k s to a n or~t-of-tile-way corner, a n d is usually %ltogethertoo s m a l l f o r its pwpose. I have seen k i t c h e n s , in t h e homes of well-to-do people, a s stnall a s eight o r ten feet s q u a r e , or a b o u t the size of m y grandmother's pantry. Then, agaiu, t h e cupboard.;, closets and storing-rooms of most Southern houseb a r e too s m a l l and a r e illarranged. Cellais, owing t o t h e climate, a r e very exceptional, a n d good attics a r e seldom found. There is rooln for a r g u m e n t as to ahether t h e ooe o r t w o - s t o ~ y house is m o s t couvenient, b u t certaiuly for a given a n ~ o u n t of motley t h e two-story house furnishes considerably more room space I n a one-story house t h e temptation a l w a y s is, among a l l classes of S o u t h e r n people, to t u r n bedrooms into reception-rooms O I I occasions. T h i s is ?;\\rays objectionable, especially where childreu a r e being trained to respect tlte s a n c t i t y of their private rooms. Then, too, the ver~tilation of t h e sleeping-rooms is a matter of some difficulty in a one-story I ~ o u s e , w h e r e windows a n d doors near t h e living-rooms cannot be left open long. The heating problem ill t h e Sorrth is serious. S e a r l y a11 wellperfected heating s y s t e m s have been developed t o supply t8he needs o f cold clima,tes. I n a large pa.rt of t h e South fires a r e o n l y needed regularly three m o n t h s o r less. Consequently furnaces a n d baseburners a r e too costly. On t h e o t h e r hand t h e ope11 grate, while delightfully cheery, i s wasteful, uncomfortable and dangerous. I t is responsible for a large uuinber of fires a n d a c c i d e ~ l t sa'nd , a.bove a l l it heats the room so unequally t h a t it is a source of colds, r h e u m a t i s m and consulnption. A Sout,hern home, even of t h e better class, is a dreadfully cheerless place on a cold day. Some chea'p h e a t i n g appa,ratus ill connection w i t h t h e open g r a t e i s really in g r e a t dema-nd. Outside these criticisms of t h e physical homes t h e r e a r e special moral d a n ~ e r s d u e to t h e environments of t h e best class of Negroes. The best Negro s e t t l e m e n t s a r e never free from t h e intrusion of t h e worst class of whites. A favorite situation for both w h i t e a n d colored houses of prostitution is in t h e Negro q u a r t e r of t h e town, a n d t h i s often brings t h e m n e a r some of t h e best homes. I have seen a prosperous country tow11 where a prominent w h i t e offlcial was not tolerated in the white residertce section, hut allowed to build a n d live in a p r e t t y home in the inidst of t h e best Negroes. I n Asheville, N. C., one of t h e best Negro sections is ruined b y a n open house of ill-fame wit'h w h i t e inmates. Again, t h e Negro sections of t,he c i t y a r e usually poorly Policed (save in c r i r ~ l i n a l sections), poorly pa,ved a n d lighted, a n d , above f l h t h e system of S o u t h e r n taxation falls heavily on t h e middle classes: in Atlanta, books, s e w i n g machines, furniture, bicycles, horses a n d Wagons, and a l l such s m a l l luxuries a r e taxed. The custom, too, of classing a l l Negroes together, in law a n d treatment, leads to carelessness in protecting t h e best of t h e Negroes f r o m their own worst elements. A whole Negro district i s p u t under a ban of t h e lawlessness of a few, a n d t h e lack of p u r i t y in some Negro homes is sttfflcient excuse with marry for t r e a t i n g t h e best of our with neither courtesy nor decency.
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T h a t w i t h snch surroundings, a u d a m u n g t h e m a s s of poor homes there is growing up a strong beautiful f a m i l y life, housed decently, even lrlxuriously in some cases, i s a c a u s e of c o n g r a t ' ~ 1 l a t i oand ~ hope.
Section 13. A Study of Eight Homes. T h e class in sociology of A t l a u t a University, 1908-09, m a d e a detailed s t u d y of 32 Negro homes. P l a n s and descriptions of e i g h t of these h o m e s follow; t h e scale is onef o u r t h of t h a t indicated :
PLAN A.-Family of eleven persons ( p a r e n t s w d nine children). T h i s c o u n t r y house i s a wooden structure with the boards running up a.nd down. T h e roof is shingled with large home-made shingles. None of t h e wa.lls a,re plastered, a l l of t h e floors a r e bare, and the windows a r e w i t h o u t glass panes, curta.ins or shades. They have wooden shutters. There a r e two bedrooms a n d a kitchen. I n t h e large bedrooin are two beds, a dresser, a sewing rnachine, a cupboard piled with quilts, a table w i t h a bowl a.nd pitcher upon it, a towel-mck and a few chairs. They have newspapers pasted upon t h e walls a n d several advertisement pictures-"Fairy Soap," "Baking Powder," "Root Beern-tacked on. There a r e no books except t,he Bihles of t h e different members of the family m d a few old school books. T h e y t a k e "RlcCaulrty's Magazine," "The Yellow Jackcc," t h e "Savannah Tribune," a n d the "North Georgian." Ther,e is a large fireplace. The second bedroom ha,s no windows and no fireplace. I t contains three beds a,nrl nothing more. T h e kitchen h a s two windows. I t cootxins a stove, two s m a l l tables, a cupboard a n d a few chairs. T h e front porch is a. mere platform, with no top over it. The house is kept moderately clean. There is a large f r o n t y a r d , bare,clea,n swept,
A Study of Eight Homes
69
which lnerges into woods on one side a n d i n t o a large k i t c h e n g a r d e n on the o t h e r ; from t h e front of t h e y a r d r u n s a path leading to a n o t h e r home. T h e back y a r d is also large, b a r e , a n d clean swept. I t l e a d s into woods and cotton fields. There is no o t h e r house in s i g h t of t h i s one. T h e y get their water from a s p r i n g near by.
PLAXB.-Family of twelve persons ( p a r e n t s a n d ten children). This country housc is m a d e of pine logs 2 0 x l 5 , e i g h t feet high ; roofed with split hoards. T h e little room on t h e side i s m a d e nf plank 1 0 x 13, roofed with split hoards. T h e floor i s laic1 w i t h wide plank, 1 x 10. It has one chimney, three windows 2 x 3, w i t h board s h u t t e r s , t h r e e doors 6gx3. T h e porch i s just wide enough to m a k e a passage f r o m t h e
70
door of t h e m a i n house t o t h e room, a n d i t is not covered. The yard i, v e r y s m a l l ; cotton r o w s o n one side run alnlost t o t h e door, and in tt,, r e a r a r e weeds a n d woods T h e r e a r e t h r e e b e d s i n t h e m a i n building, with t h e paint worn oft and a large yellow o r g a n n e a r t h e r e a r window. T h e r e a r e five homem a d e c h a i r s a n d t w o benches t e n feet long, two s m a l l trunks, a small table f o r t h e l a m p a n d a l a r g e o n e f o r e a t i n g purposes. T h e dishes are k e p t in a box, t h e s u r p l u s food is also k e p t i n a box. The cooking utensils a r e k e p t o n a shelf outside of t h e window. T h e cooking is d o n e in t h i s building o n t h e fireplace. T h e walls a r e Covered with newspapers, w i t h holes s h o w i n g where mice have been gnawing. ~ h , bed i s bare, and t h e bedclothes h a n g f r o m t h e joist. N o p l c t ~ ~ are re~ o n t h e walls a n d n o c a r p e t upon t h e floor. T h e r e i s one glass lnmp of
A Study o f Eight Homes
71
slnall size and a small tin l a m p . A gun i s h a n g i n g over t h e door. T h e n a t e r is I x o u g l ~ from t a s p r i n g a b o u t 300 y a r d s a w a y . The little ont-room c o n t a i r ~ stwo beds a n d a bench a b o u t ten feet long, b u t n o pictnres on t h e wall, no books o r carpet. T h e beds a r e painted yellow, fairly new. One large box i s in t h e corner to k e e p clothes packed in. T h i s is ca.lled t h e g u e s t room.
PLANC.-Family of ten (widow a n d nine c h i l d r e n ) . There a r e four rooms in t h i s couutry house. I n t h e room t h a t is usually used for t h e reception of company is a dresser, a w a s h s t a n d , a center-table, s t r a i g h t chairs, one rocker a n d a bed. T h e floor h a s one walls a r e small rug. There is n o plastering on t h e walls. T h e ~ n s i d e just the inside of t h e boards t h a t form t h e weatherboarding. T h e window h a s no glass, h u t h a s a lace curtain h a n g i n g over it. T h e o t h e r room h a s two beds in it, n shelf upon which q n i l t s a r e k e p t a n d a big box with things packed in it. I n t h e kitc+llen i s a bed, with a curtail1 between t h e bed a n d t h e p a r t w h e r e t h e cooking i s done, ti shelf where the water-bucket stands, mcl a cupboard w h e r e t,he d i s h e s a r e kept. I n the dining-room is a long tiihle. C h a i r s a r e carried from t h e other front room a r e rooms to t h e dining-room a s t h e y a r e needed. I n t l ~ e R few pictures, and 011 t h e ~ n tle-shelf, m which i s a board nailed above the fireplace, is a big clock. T h e r e is one t r u n k i n t h e f r o n t room a n d one in t h e o t h e r bedroom. I n t h e front room t h e f u r n i t u r e i s comparatively new, because t h e fainily w a s recently b u r n e d out. Most of t h e water is taken from a well t h a t is a b o u t two h u n d r e d y a r d s from t h e house, and t h e rest is t a k e n from a s p r i n g a little f a r t h e r a w a y . This house is heated by fireplaces in w h i c h , principally, o a k wood is is done b y t h e fire in t h e s e fireplaces used. A good p a r t of the l i g l ~ t i n g in winter a n d by k e r o s e ~ ~ la e m p s in s u m m e r . I n t h e y a r d a r e flowers and one hiF o a k tree. T h e house is not painted. On t h e inside of tlie house and a l l around it, e v e r y t h i n g i s k e p t e x t r e m e l y clean. F r o m t h e appearance of t h e fireplace olie m i g h t t h i n k t h a t i t is whitewashed three or four tilnes each week. The periodicals a r e "The Designer" a n d t h e "Delineator." T h e papers are "The Macon Telegraph," "The A t l a n t a I n d e p e n d e n t " a n d "The DisPatch." I n t h e kitchen i s a medium-sized stove. PLAN D.-Family of s i x (parents, one child a n d t h r e e brothers). This country liouse is a f r a m e s t r u c t u r e of four rooms, t w o on e i t h e r side of a wide h a l l T h e house is weatherboarded crosswise a n d painted white,with green bordering. T w o windows of e i g h t p a n e s each a d m i t light to each room. T h e f r o n t porch is c o m p a r a t i v e l y wide a n d t h e back porch is very wide T h e bedrooms a r e furnishetl with a wardrobe apiece, m a d e of walnut. E a c h bedroom contains a bureau of walnut, and a large box upside down, covered neatly w i t h newspaper, with a Washpan, soap a n d towel o n t h e top. I n t h e front rooms a r e t w o beds, a n d in t h e b a c k bedroom one bed. All the beds a r e well kept. T h e f r o n t room on t h e r i g h t h a s a carpet,,
72
The Negro American Family s o m e w h a t w o r n , u p o n t h e floor. Beside t h e fireplace is a n unpainted tinder-box, c o n t a i n i n g f a t lightwood. chips a n d wood f o r making fires. All t h e rooms h a v e fireplaces. Though s o m e f a m i l i e s in t h a t section o f t h e c o u n t r y s l e e p upon straw-beds, t h i s p a r t i c u l a r falllily has featherbeds through t h e house. T h e f r o n t room o n t h e r i g h t has acenter-table s t a n d i n g upon t h r e e legs w i t h g l a s s feet. T h e back rooins have lofts stored w i t h h a m s a n d dried pumpkins. T h e o t h e r rooms are ceiled overhead, w i t h plastered sides. T h e walls of tlie f r o n t room a r e decked w i t h pictures of L 6 ~ o s h ~ 8 Ark," " E t e r n i t y , " L L C h r i s t ' Blessi~igs," s a n d to Up t h e whole array of pictures, those w h i c h a r e n o t of t h e i m m e d i a t e f a m i l y seem to continually i m p r e s s t h e f a c t t h a t d e a t h i s near. T h e lights of the house a r e t h e comlnon Miller l a m p s w i t h Rochester burners. T h e kitchen contains a c o m m o n cook-stove, a cook-table, m i l k cans, churn, and general m i l k a p p a r a t u s . T h e beclroorn on t h e b a c k contains also a new food s a f e , m a d e of o a k w i t h doors of flowered wirecloth. Upon the tables of t h e roolns n m y be seen copies of t h e "Truth," a n Atlanta N ~ . g r o publication ; copies of c h e a p novels sold on t r a i n s , such as, "A Slow
73
Train through Arkansas," anti a book called "Stories from t h e Ladies' Holne J o u r ~ ~ a l . "T h e A t l a n t a J o ~ ~ r n is a l take11 also. T h e y a r d s are kept a s free of obstruction a s possible. I n t h e f r o n t y a r d a r e a few flowers in beds, separated by cleanly-swept walks. T h e back y a r d contail~s a well a n d a side table, a n d perhaps half a dozen t u b s m a d e from syrup barrels. All w a t e r i s carried into t h e house i n well-polished cedar buckets.
PLAN E.-Family of t h r e e (widow a n d t w o da.ughcers). This city house i s a f r a m e d w e l l i n g of t h r e e rooms: t w o bedrooms and a kitchen. One bedroom, 18 x 14%, h a s two windows a n d two doors, One leading to t h e n e x t room a n d t h e o t h e r to s o m e steps in front. T h e windows have no ctut,ains nor shades. T h e walls a r e ~ n p l a ~ s t e r e an dd , save for a f e w calendars, a r e bare. T h e floor h a s no covering. W i t h i n the room a r e a bed, a table, a bureau and a wmdrobe. T h e r e is also a fireplace, with a malrtel above upon which a r e two vases, a c a l e n d a r and one or two Sunday-scltool cards. T h e o t h e r bedroom is 1 8 x 1 2 . T h e wa,lls a r e bare a n d t h e floors uncoveretl. T h w e a r e two windows without shades a n d curta.ins. W i t h i n t h e room a r e a. bed, a table a n d O m Or two chairs. T h e r e is a fireplace, w i t h n ~ n a n t e la.bove upon kitchen, w t ~ i c h i s det;lcliecl, is 18 x 7. T h e wllich ir0n.s a r e kept. T l ~ e
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walls a r e bare a n d unplastered a n d t h e floors uncovered. I n i t are a small cooking stove, a. table, a food safe, a bench and four chairs. There is one window w i t h o u t s h a d e o r c u r t a i n , a n d one door. This family does not subscribe for a n y paper o r magazine, and the books consist of some school books once used by children of t h e family. The yard in front is used a s a place for washing, a n d t h e tubs and clothes-lines a r e there. T h e y a r d i n t h e back is used for a garden. There a r e several trees a n d a n outhouse in it. A h y d r a n t supplies city water. PLANF.-Family of four ( p a r e n t s a n d two d a ~ ~ g h t e r s ) . x 12 in., with shingle roof and T h i s city cottage is built of boards wooden supporting pillars. T h e walls of t h e room a r e made out of regular floorinr lumber. T h e f r o n t room h a s paper on the walls, carpet on the floor, a n d c u r t a i n s a t t h e windows. On t h e walls are two or three pictures of t h e m e m b e r s of t h e family. T h i s room i s used a s
A Study o f Eight Homes
a bedroo111 a s well a s a parlor, a n d c o n t a i n s a bed, bureau, w a s h s t a n d ,
bowl a n d pitcher. T h e walls of t h e o t h e r t w o r o o n ~ s a n d kitchen a r e destitute of paper, plaster a n d pictures, a n d t h e floors a r e bare. I n One of these roorns is art old-fashioned bed a n d a bureau. I n t h e o t h e r is an iron bed, a piano a n d n bureau I n t h e k i t c h e n is a table, a s a f e and a range. T h e r e a r e eight c h a i r s in t h e house a n d one rockingchair. T h e r e a r e a few books in t h e m a i n room, s u c h a s : t h e Bible, and "Life of F r e d Douglas" ; t h e r e is also t b e A t l a n t a "Constitutiorl." Coal and woocl is used for h e a t i n g purposes. T h e f r o n t room h a s a grate a n d t h e o t h e r two h a r e fireplaces. F o r l i g h t , kerosene l a m p s a r e
76
used. T h e y a r d is inclined f r o m t h e f r o n t to t h e back. In back i s a n outhouse a n d a well. I n t h e f r o n t is a rosebush and a peach tree.
PLAN CT.-FHIII~~~ of seven (parents, two ehildren, g m ~ ~ d i a t h euncle r, RIKI nephew).

This city horrse is a t r a m e structure of t h r e e rooms, t w o on one side of a hall a n d olie on t h e other. T h e house is w e a t h e r h o a r d d crosswise a n d painted green. T h e f r o n t room on the r i g h t h a s two windows, the
77
front window being a l a r g e one-pane s a s h , with transom. T h e side window h a s f o u r l i g h t s in two sashes. T h e rest of t h e rooms have two and three windows ~ a c h . T h e front porch is ten feet wide a t t h e n,idest p a r t . T h e back p o ~ c h is five feet wide. T h e front room contains a n oak s u i t of f u r n i t u r e , w i t h four straigllt-back chairs and two rockers. There i s a r u g upon t h e oak-stained floor. T h e casings of the room a r e c h e r r y colored. T h e mirrored m a n t e l is cherry with vari-colored tile h e a r t h , ancl club-house g r a t r . T h e hed m a t t r e s s is of cotto11 felt. Ou the i w d e r shelf of a center-table a r e t h e daily issues of the Atlanta "Georgian." an A t l a n t a daily, t o g r t h e r w i t h weekly issues of the A t l a n t a I n d e p e u d e n t , a N e g ~ ow e r k l y pul1lished here. 0 1 1 a like "Ishmael," a W e b s t e l ' s small bookcase a r e r a l iouh books : l ~ o r e l s abridged clictionary, a n d t h e " H o m e Encyclopwdia." T h e room back r~ of t h i s is t h e k ~ t c h e n ;it contains a common cook-stove, all ~ r o bed used for "loul~ging," a c h e a p safe, all eating-table, a s i d e table, a combination atfa11 for holding flour, m e a l , coffre, spices. sugar, s a l t , r t c . ; the floor i s k e p t n ell scoured. I n t h e room across t h e hall a r e two beds,a ~ ~ a s l ~ s t a a nt dl~ . e s s e ra , n d a cbenter-tahle. 111 t h i s room i s a small heater of o r d i n a r y s t y l e ; 11ott.irlg is upon t h e floor. Common cotto11 mattresses a r e upon t h e beds. T h e p i r t u r e s a r e mostly of landscapes and portraits of t h e i m m e d i a t e family. I n t h e hall is a common sideboald. T h e lights a r e Ivlillrr l a m p s with Rochester hurners. T h e r e a r e three or four a l a l m c l o c l i ~in t h e house. There is a s t a n d - p i p e on t h e back porch, f l ~ r n i s h i ~ l w ga t e r for t h e house T h e walls a r e all plastered, also o v e ~ h e a c l n l t h scratchcoat finish. T h e trout yard has grasb. but no flowers. T h e back y a l d contains a coalhouse, chicken-house, water-closet a n d storeroom, a washbellch a n d three tubs.
PLAS H.-Family of eleven ( p r e n t s and nine c h i l d r e n ) . A City H o m e : Prcdor.-The walls a r e kalsc~minedin pink a n d blue. There a r e six painted pictures on t h e walls, two of t h e mother, one of t h e husband and f o u r of l u r a l scenes. T h e floor is carpeted with Brussels c a r p e t and three rugs. T h e l u r n i t l ~ r e consists of one parlor suite, mahoganyfinished a n d l e a t h e r - b o t t o m e d , and two bookcases, o n e in oak and one in oil-finish, with hooks s u c h a s t h e works of George E l i o t , Dickens, Shakespeare, I r v i n g , P o e ; L a t i n , Greek, G e r m a n a n d F r e n c h textbooks, a n d others. T h e room i s heated by a n open g r a t e a n d lighted by gas. Reception Hull.-The walls a r e and-finished, a n d kalaomined in blue a n d pink. There a r e s i x framed pictures, t a o of g r a n d p a r e n t s , olle of sister, one of F r e d Douglass, one of B o o k e r w a s h i n g t o n , a n d o a r rural scene. T h e floor i s carpeted with Brussels c a r p e t and three rugs. The furniture consists of f o ~ s ~t rra w - b o t t o m e d chairs, cherry-colored, one table, ancl one piano ebony-finished. T h e tmoks consist of colleetionb of music. T h e room is heated by a n open g r a t e a n d lighted by gas. The woodwork of both these rooms is oil-finished. ~ % ' n i n ~ - R o o m . - ~ h ew a l k a r e sand-finished, a n d halsolnined in pink.
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70 W E -7
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The p i c t u r e s consist of four framed pictures, chiefly of fruits. The floor i s painted red a n d has a rug. T h e f u r n i t u r e consists of twelve c h a i r s , one table, one sideboard, oak-finished, a n d c h i n a closet oilfinished. T h e room is heated b y open g r a t e a n d lighted by gas. Study.-The walls a r e kalsornined in blue a n d cream. There are four f r a m e d pictures a n d one framed m i r r o r on t h e wall. T h e floor is covered w i t h linoleunl. The f u r n i t u r e consists of s i x chairs, one table,one clefik a n d one piano. T h e books consist for t h e most p a r t of school books-of g r a m m a r school a n d p r r p a r a t o r y course-with rnngazine4
'
Such a s "The Ladies' H o m e Journal," " W o m a n ' s H o m e Companion," harper'^,^ and others. T h e room is h e a t e d by a s m a l l h e a t e r a n d lighted by gas. Kitchen.- he walls a r e of painted wood. T h e floor is bare, painted. The furniture consists of oue table, range, s i n k , drawboard. I t is lighted by gas. Halls.- he walls a r e kalsomined iu blue a n d yellow. T h e floors a r e with linoleum; t h e s t e p s a r e carpeted. T h e halls a r e lighted with gas.
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Be&oorns.-The bedroom over t h e parlor h a s walls kalsomined in blue a n d yellow. T h e floor is carpeted. T h e pictures co~lsistof four frametl pictures. T h e f u r n i t u r e consists of one bed, one washstand, table, one dresser a n d four chairs, oak-finished. T h e room is heated over the recept,ion b y a u open grate a n d lighted by gas. T h e b e d r o o ~ n (,all h a s s i m i l a r walls, t h e floor is covered with l n a t t i u g ; the picturp, consist of three f r a m e d pictures, two of p a r e n t s a n d one of country scene. T h e f u r n i t u r e consists of one iron bed, dressing-table, chiffonier a n d three chairs. I t is h e a t e d b y a n open g r a t e a n d lighted by gas. T h e bedroo111 over t h e s t u d y h a s s i m i l a r walls, is covered with Illatting a n d h a s f o u r pictures of relatives a n d scenes. T h e f u r n i h r e (!otlsists of a double bed, dresser, w a s h s t a n d , table a n d three chairs. I t is heated :r.nd lighted a s t h e others. T h e bedroom over t h e dining-room has s i m i l a r walls, is covered with m a t t i n g , a n d h a s one framed picture of group of boys. T h e f u r n i t u r e consists of one o r d i ~ l a r ybed, one folding-bed a n d dresser. It i s heated b y one slnall fireplace and lighted by gas. N e x t to t h i s bedroom is t h e bathroom, 5 x 10 feet. Building Jfateriu1.-The house i s built of wood, w i t h a l l the inside walls plastered w i t h t h e exception of t h e kitchen. T h e r e is water t h r o u g h the house a n d in t h e yard. T h e house is lighted by g a s ; there is only one outhouse, t h e coalhouse. T h e house h a s had a recent coat of p a i n t upon it.
Section 14. Evolution of the Negro Home. T h e pictures on the following pages present a series w h i c h illustrates partially the evolution of t h e Negro h o m e :
No. I-Group of African h u t s (loaned by t h e Southern IVorktnan). No. 2-Storehouse for corn-Bongo ( S c h w e ~ n f u r t h ) . No. 3-Two dwelling-huts, 6-7 m e t r e s high-Bongo (Schweinfurth). No. 4-Corn warehouses-Niam-Niam ( S c h w e i n f n r t h ) . No. 5-Sleeping-hut for boys, kitchen-hut and dwelling-hut-NiamN~atn (Schweinfurth). No. 6-Dwelling-hut (6 x 10 m e t r e s ) a n d palace of t h e k i n g (25 x50 metres, 17 metres high)-Moubuttos (Schweinfurth). Nos. 7-10-Slave-cab~ns S o u t h e r n Uuited S t a t e s (loaned by Southern Workrnun). Nos. 11-13-Negro c i t y tenetnents, Atlanta (photo. by A J. Williams, '09.) Nos. 14-19-Negro c i t y tenemetlts. Atlanta, poorer r l a s s (photo. by A J. Williams, '09). Nos 20-27-Negro c i t y t e n e m e n t s , Atlanta, better class (photo. by A. J. Williams, '09). . J. WilNos. 28-35-Homes owned hy A t l a n t a Negrnes (photo. by 9 liams, '09). No. 36-Residence of a Negro minister, Decatur (photo. by Askew). No. 37-Residence of a Negro l a w y e r , A t l a n t a (photo. by Askew). No. 38-Residence of a N e g r o tailor, A t l a n t a (piloto. by Akltew).
Evolution of the NegroLHome

K o . 40-Residelire
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No. BY-Resicleuc~ of a Negro w o r k i l ~ g - w o m a n ,Atlalita,. of a. Negro railwa.1 postal-clerk, S o u t h A t l a n t a . Kn. 41-Residence of a Negro contractor ant1 builder, A t l a n t a . KO. 42-Residenve of a Negro grocer. KO. 43-Residence of a Negro business m a n , insuralice m a n a g e r and prnprietor of barber shops ; now building a n d said to be t h e finest Negro residence in the South. I t will ha.ve electric bells a u d lights, fireplaces, steam-heat, roof-garden, a n d 16 rooms. ( P h o t o g r a p h s 39-43 by Askew).
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Evolution of the Negro Home
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Evolution of t h e Negro H o m e
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Economics of the African Family
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Part 3.
The Economics of the Family
Section 15. Africa. T h e family economy of Atrica is simple and p r i m i t i v e , a~rdnlay he described briefly in the words of B i i c h e r : 1 The economy of many Negro t,ribes shows . . . a s h a r p division of the production and of many parts of the consumption according to s e x ; indeed even the extension of this distinction to the sphere of barter. As P. Pogge,one of o u r most reliahle ol~servers,says concisely of the Congo Negroes: "Tlre woman has her own circle of duties independent of t h a t of her hushand." And in the description of the Baslrilangas he observes: "No member of the family tronbles himself almut another a t meal-times; while some e a t the others come and go just as it suits t h e m ; hut the women and the smaller children generally e a t together." And tinally he reports f u r t h e r regarding the Lundas: "Cucler ordinary conditions, w h e n a caravan has pitched its c a m p in avillage, the women of the place are accastomed to hring vegetables a n d fowl into tlre camp for sale, while goats, pigs and sheep are usually sold only hy tlre men. I t is similarly related hy L. Wolf t h a t in the market of Ibaushi all the agricultnral l~rudnctr and n ~ a t e r i a l a , n ~ aand t s pottery a r e sold by tlre women and only goats and wiue by tlre men. Each sex is thus possessor of its special product of lahor, and dislmses of i t indepcnclently. The division of the labor production between the two sexes i n Africa varies in detail from tribe to tribe; a s a rule, however, agriculture a n d the preparation of all the vegetalde foods are also assigned here to t h e woman, a n d hunting, cattle-raising, tanning, weaving to the man. This arrangement is often snp,ported by superstitious usages. I n Uganda the milking of the cows falls exclusively to m e n ; a woman is never permitted to touch the udder of a cow. I n tlre Lunda territory,again,no man is allowed to take p a r t i n the extraction of oil from the ground-ln~t,as his presence is thought to frustrate the success of the operation. As a rule tlre carriers whom Europeaus engage refuse to do women's w o r k ; Livingstone even reports a case of famine among the men i n a certain district because no women were tlrere to grind tlre corn they had on hand. Tlre separation of the two sexes in the preparation and consumption of food is often made still more rigid by regulations of a semi-religious character, forbidding the women the use of certain kinds of meat, which are thus reserved for men alone. Everywhere arnong primilive peoples t h e children become indepcndent rery early in youth and desert the society of their parents. They often l i r e tlren for some years in special common houses, of which tlrere are others for married meu. These common-houses for men-folk grouped according to age, and frequently also for the unmarried women grouped in tlre same way, are found r e r y widely distributed in Africa and America, and especially in Oceania. Tlrey serve as common places of meeting, work,'and amusement and a s sleeping-places for Lhe younger people, and are used also for lodging Strangers. Thcy naturally form a further obstacle to the development of a common household economy based upon the family, for each family is generally snhdivided into different parts w i t h separate dwellings. I t may be asserted as a general rule for primitive peoples practising polygamy that each wife lras her o w n h u t . Among the Zulns t h e y go so far as to build a separate l r ~for t almost every adult member of the household-one for the husband, one for his mother, one for each of his w i r e s and other adult members of his family. These huts all stand in a semi-circle about the en'Carl Bucher: Industrial Evolution 1 trauslated by Wickett), chap. 1, pp. 35-38.
'
98
closed cattle-kraal in such a way t h a t t h e man's dwelling is in the center, course it is to he remembered t h a t a h u t of this kind c:iu he coustructed in a few hours. 1 N i s s Kingsley s a y s : T h e Honse is a collection of individuals; I shonld hesitate to call it a develheiugs, because the very oped family. I cannot s a y i t is a collection of h ~ u u a n dogs and cauoes autf so o n t,hat helong to it are a p a r t of it in the eye of the la\\,, a n d capahle therefore alike of e ~ n h r o i l i n g it and a d v a r ~ c i n p its interests. These Houses a r e hound together into pronps by t h e I ~ o l l g ju-ju prol)er to the so-called secret society, common to the groups of houses. T h e House is sided over by w l ~ a t is called iu white parlance, a king, and beneath him tllere are four classes of h u m a n beings in regular r a u k , t,hat is to say influence in couucil: tirstlj-, t h e free relation.: of the k i n g , i f Ile be a free Inan himself which is frequently n o t t l ~ e case; if he be a slave, t h e free people of the ily he is trustee f o r ; secwndly, the free slnall people w h o h a r e placed theln. selves under the protection of the H o m r , rendering i t in return for tile aszistance and protection i t affords t h e m service on d e m a n d ; the third a ~ r d fourth classes are t r l ~ eslave classes, t h e higher one in r a n k being that called tkre U'innat~oes or Trade hoys, t h e lower the pull-away !>op and plantation hands. The best point. in it, a s ;t system, is that it gi\-es t,o t h r lmorest boy w h o paddles a n oil-canoe a c h n ~ ~ of c e heconling a king. Property itself in \Irest .Xfrica, and as I have reason to hrliere from reporta in other parts of tropical Africa t11;tt I :&Ill a(:qUaill-tetl Kith, is firmly governed ant1 is divisahle into three kiutls. Firstly, ance.itra1 property connertetl \vith the oifice of h e a d ~ n a n s l ~ i the g , Stool, as thin ofice is called iu the tr11e Negro state, the Cap as i t is called dowu in Bas C'ollgo; secondly, family property, in which e v e r j melnher of the family has a certain share, and on which he, e h e or it has a c l a i m ; thirdlg,private property, that which is acquired or lnade hy a rnan or wonIan h y their personal exrrtions, over and ahove that mhich is earned !,y them in 1.0-operation with other meml.~ersof their Family which be(-omes a family property, and that which is gaiuetl 11ygifts or ~natle ill trade hy the exercise of a superior trading al~ility. Every one of these fornls of property in equxlly bat-retl it1 t l ~ e e y r of the Africa11 law. T h c property of the Stool rnllst Ire \vo~'kc!tlfor the S t ~ ~ o\vorkl; ing it well, iu(*re;~siug it, adda to t l r p i m p ~ r l ; i . l l ~of . e the Stool, ant1 n1:rltes the k i n g w h o does r o popular; h u t h ? is ~ I . I I P ~ C ' C uot ! O\\'iIer of thv Stool prope~.ty, and his family does nut c!olne in for t l ~ a prc~pert?-on t his t l r a l l ~for . every profit made by the working of Stool prt111erty is like this itsrlf the property of the Stool, and during the ki11.g'~ life h e cannot l e ~ a l l ynlieuate it for l ~ i s c,\vn personal ad\-autape, I ~ i i (:an t only aatln~inister it for the I w ~ e f i of t the Strml. The king's p o x e r over t h e property of the fanlily :ilirl the priva.te 1)roperty of the people tlncler this r n l e , ~ m n s i s t s in the right of I-:an, bnt not arriere t h r l:i\vs c.o~~cerning it 1)rcll)rrty is m ~ ~ c the h s a m e $1.; ~.eparcls Ball. E'i~~nily is truster of it. If h e is a slwndas Stool property. T h e h w t l nf the f a u ~ i l y thrift, or u n l w k y in its rnanagelnent, he is relno\-etl f r c ~ n his ~ po.;itiou. Any profit he may ~n;tke with the xssistxnce of a m e l n t ~ e rof his o w n fa,n~ily hr(*omr.; f;~mil?prcrl~erty; t ~ u to f crlllrse ;111?-prr~lwrty Ilr may malie with the assistance of 11i.s free wives or wife, ;I l w r w n w h o tl~)rnnot helong to his his own. Private f a ~ n i l yor , wit11 t h e ;i;sistanc-e of a n ontsitler, In:iy )w~wrnc. proprrt,~ : ~ c ' r l ~ ~ i in r e tthe l \vays I h a r e ~nentionetl is equally sacred in the ryes
"
fain!
1C':lrl B u e h r r : 2 \Vest .lfricnn
1uclustl.int Kvolntion I t ~ ~ n ~ ~ s l ;b ) tl rWiclirrt cl I , cllalr. I , 11.:<H. Ftodlrs. .?d r,ri.. p p 3i%:i1;6
you c t r ~ ~ ltiutl t l :L single hnmeu h e ~ n gslave , or of the law. I (lo not s n l ~ l w w free, who 11:ltl11ot >ome p r ~ v n t e prollel ty of hls or her very owu. co~~onlir ce - r t ~ l u t i nof ~~ s l a v e r y , so f a r a s Section 16. Slavery. T ~ eP tl~r ta111i1y W R S C I I I I C C ~ I I ~W CH ~S , lar-~eacl~ing N . e w l y i m l ~ o r t e t lA f r i c a l ~ s n e w ill tl~cxW r s t 111tlles often portionrtl off a m o n g t l ~ eolder s l a v e families. Thesrt falnilies were s ~ ~ p p o s e to cl support tlle~nselves by food which they w i s e d 011 11lots of g~mulltl given t h e m , t , l ~ em a s t e r s o n l y Tllis, . l~oweverd , i d n o t a l w a y s work I ~ r l p i ~ logu t in rrl,se of t l r o ~ 1 ~ l 1 t WVII, as ~ I I P 11artler t l ~ s r l a v e s were driven t h e less t i ~ n e a n d inclination they 11ad to r;rise food of the proper :il~rount a,nd k i ~ ~ t l G . radr~ally, thel'ef~)re,o11 t h e c o ~ ~ t i u c ? n tlrr t , s y s t e m of "rittions" c a m e int,o Ilse: erery week or f o r t l ~ i g l l te a c h s l a v e f a m i l y preselltetl t l ~ e ~ u s e l r east the 111aster's storehouse and rrreivetl all a l l o w m c e of pork a.nd cornmeal, a,ucl l ) e ~ , l ~ nother ps food. Once a y e a r , usua.lly a t C11ristma.s-time, clnthi~lg was t l i s t r i l ~ r ~ t e t l T . he f o l l o w i ~ ~ eg s t r a c t s will illustrat,e C O I I ditio~~s: Rtrr. (iecrrge \Vhitvfirltl, ill his l[?t,t,rrto tllr: s l a ~ v e h o l d e r s of N a r y Ia~lrl,Tlirxi~lia, Nortll Carolina, S U L I ~Carolina ,!I a n d Georgia, pul>lishecl in 1739, said : My l~loorlha3 frrqurutly r1111 cold within me, to t l ~ i u k how many of your slaves I~avts not sutiicien t for,d to e a t ; thcy a t e sc:a,rvely permitted to pick u p the r r n m l ~ s that fall f r o ~ ~ their t maat.er's tallle. The Rlarylw~~cl .TozsrnnI,anrl Balt,imore d d v e / . l i s e r , M a y 30, 1788, s a y s : A single perk of corn a week, or the like Ineasrrre of rice, is the ordina,ry slave; to which a s ~ n a l l qua,ntity of quantity of 1)roviaion for :L I~artl-\\.ul.liiug nleat is ~~cc.anionallg, tllt~ugl rarely, ~ added. Hon. h l e s a ~ ~ t S l~r n y t la ~ ,slavel~oltler.a n d for ten y e a r s a M e m b e r of Congress f r ~ , l'irpinia, n~ i l l his speech 011 t h e hlissouri qnest,ion, said Ja11uary 28. 1H20: By confinil~gthc slaves to Southern States, wl~erecrops are raised for exhread tl and meat a,re p u r r h a s ~ lyou , doom them to scarcity and portation a ~ ~ huuger. I t is proposed to hcm in the hlacks where t,l~ey are ill-fed. Tile report 11f the Grad~1a.l En~a.ucipa.t,ion Society, of N o r t , l ~ Carolina, 18K slwaking of t h e colltlit,ion of slaves in t h e e m t e r n p a r t of that, State. says: The master puts the iir~fortnnale \+-retcheslipon short allowances,scarcely sutiific~ieut for their snstenancr, so that a great part of them go half-starved much of the time. H O I I .Rolwrt 'l'nrnhull. a s h v t ~ h o l d e rof C h a r l e s t o ~ S. ~ , C., s a y s : The su1)sisteuce of the slaj-rs consists, from hlarch until August, of coru g r o u r l iuto grits, or meal, made into what is called hominy, or baked iuto c0rnl)read. The other six mouths they are fed upon the sweet potato. Meat when given is only hy the way of iutlulgence or favor. Others testify : 1 The fotxl of the slaves was geuerally cornl~read, and sonletirnes meat or molasses.
1
I
100
The slaves had no food allowed them besides corn, excepting at christmss when they had beef. t On m y uncle's plantation the food of the slaves Was Cornpone and a small allowance of meat. Angelina Uriinke Weld says: Only two meals a day are allowed t,he house-slaves-the first at, twelve orclock. If they e a t before this t,ime, i t is by stealth, and I am sure there must be a good deal of suffering among t'hem from hunger, and particularl Y by children. Besides this t,hey are often kept froin their meals hy way of punishment. No table is provided for them to eat from. They know nothing of the comfort and pleasure of gathering round the social hoard-each takes his plate or t,in pan and iron spoon,and holds it in the hand or on the lap. I saw slaves seated around a table to part,ake of a n y meal. M r . E l e a z a r Powell. C h i p p e w a . , Bea.ver c o u n t y , Perm., w h o resided in Mississippi i n 1836 a n d 1837. s a i d : The slaves received two meals dtlring the day. Those who have their food cooked for them pet their breakfast about eleven o'clock, and their other meal about midnight. P h i l e m o n Bliss, Esq., a l a w y e r i n E l y r i a , Ohio, a,od a. rnrmbel. of the Presbyteria,n c h u r c h , w h o lived in F l o r i d a i n 1834 a n d 1835, s a i d : The slaves go to the tield in the morning; they c a r r y with them cornmeal wet with water, and a t noon build a fire on the ground and hake it in the ashes. After t h e labors of the d a y are over, t,hey t.ake their second meal of ash-cake. " T h e 1ega.l a l l o w a n c e for food in N o r t h Ca,rolina is, i n t h e words of t h e l a w , ' a q u a r t of c o r n p e r day.' S e e H a y w o o d ' s Manua.1, page 626. T h e l e g a l a,llowance iir L o u i s i a n a is m o r e , a b a r r e l [flt)ur ba.rrel] of corn (in t h e e a r ) , o r i t s e q u i v a l e n t ill o t h e r y r a i n , a,nd a p i n t of salt 8 s a l t a m o n t h . I n t h e o t h e r s l a v e S t a r e s t h e a m u u n t of food for the slaves i s left to t h e optiun of t h e m a s t e r . " (1839.) Thos. C l a y , Esq., of Georgia., a s l a v e h o l d e r , in hie a d d r e s s before the Presbytery, 1833, said : The quantity xllo\vetl IT?rustom is a p e r k of corn a \vcek.
South says: A n o b s e r v e r w h o lived t w e l v e g e a r ; ill t l ~ e I n lower Tennessee, >lissi,ssippi and Louisiana, the clothing of the slaves is wretchedly poor; and grows worse a s you go south, in the order of the States I have named. The o ~ l y material is cotton hagging, i. e.. bagging iu which cotton is haled, not baggiug made of cotton. I n Louisiana, e.;pecially in the lower country, I have frequently seen tllem with notliing lmt a tattered coat, not sutticient to hide their nakedness. I n winter their clothiug seldom serves the purpose of comfort, and frequently not even of decent covering. 111 Lonisiana the plauterz uever think of serving c,ut shoes to slaves. In Risaissipl,i they give one pair a gear g e n e r d l y . I never s a w or heard of an instance of inasters allowing them s t o c k i ~ ~ g sA . small poor blanket is generally the oulg bed vlothing, and this they freqnently wear in the field when they ha\-e not sutfirient clothing to hide their uakedneas or to keep them warm. Their manner of sleeping varies \\.it11 the season. I n hot weather
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. -
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Ainel'i(.;ui Sl:r.very, etc., pp. 55-56,
Economics of the Slave Family
101
they stretch themselves a n y w h e r e and sleep. As i t hecomes cool they roll themselves in their I)lankets, and lay scattered ahout t h e cabin. I n cold weather they nestle topether with their feet towards t h e fire, promiscoously. 1 The masters [in Georgia] m a k e a practice of g e t t i n g t w o suits of clothes for each slave per year, a thick snit for winter and a thin one for summer. They provide also one pair of Northern-made sale shoes for eacah slave in winter. 2 T h e rnales aud fernales have their snits from the s a m e cloth for their winter dresstxs. These winter g a r m e n t s appear to he made of a n ~ i x t , u r of e cotton and wool, very coarse and sleazy. T h e whole suit for the men consiste of a pair of pantaloons and a s h o r t sailor jacket, witl)out shirt, vest, hat, stockings, or any kind of loose g a r m e n t s ! These, if worn steadily w h e n a t worlr, wonld !lot 1)rOh:tbly last more than one or t,wo m o u t h s ; therefore, for t h e s a k e of sa\-iug them, tnany of them work, especially in t h e s u m m e r , with no clothtied around their waist, and almost all with nothing on them except a ~ 1 0 t h il~g more on them t h a n a pantaloons, and t,heae frequently so torn t h a t they do not s e n - e the pru-poses of common decency. T h e women h a v e for clothiug x short petticoat, and a short loose gown, s o ~ l l c t h i n gl i k e the male's sailorjacket, without a n y under g a r m e n t , stockings, l)ouucts, hoods, caps, or any kind of over-clothes. \Yheu a t work iu war111 w e a t h e r t h e y usually s t r i p off thr loose gown, a n d h a v e nothing on hut a sllort petticoat w i t h some kind of covering over their t)rea*ts. AIauy cl~iltlreumag he seen in s u m m e r m o n t h s as naked as they came into t h e world. 3 T h e allowauce of clothing ou this plantation to each slave, w a s given out at Christmas for the gear, nljrl consisted of one pair of coarse shoes and e n o u g h coarse cloth to m a k c a jacket and trousers. If t h e m a n has a wife s h e m a k e s it u l ) ; if not, i t is made u p in t h e l~onse. T h e slaves on this plautatiou, heing near \Yilmiugtou, procured themselves e x t r a clothing by working S u n d a y s and moonlight nights, c u t t i n g cordwoocl in the swanll)s. which they ]lad to back ahout a quarter of a mile to the r i v e r ; they wonld then g e t a permit from their master and, t a k i n g the wood in their canoes, cayry it to Wilmington and s ~ l it l to the vessels, or dispose of it as hest t h e y could, a n d with t h e rn0ne.v hhuy a n old jacket of t h e sailors, some coarse cloth for a shirt, etc. They sometimes g a t h e r t h e moss from t h e trees, which they cleanse and take to market. The women receive their allowance of t h e salnr k i n d of cloth that the lneu 11;tve. This they m a k e into a f r o c k ; if they ha\-? a n y under g a r m e n t they must procure the111 for tl~elnselver;. . . . Every Saturday n i g h t the slaves receive their allowances of provisions,which must last them t,ill the n e x t Saturday night. "Potato time," as i t is called, hegins about the uliddle of July. T h e slave m a y measure for himself, t h e overseers heing p r e s e ~ ~ half t , a t)ushel of sweet l~otatoes, a n d heap the measure as long as they will lie on ; I have, however, see11 the overseer, if h e t h i n k s t h e Negro is getting too m a n y , kick the measure; and if they fall off tell h i m he has got his measure. No salt i s furnished them to r a t with their potatoes. When rice or corn is givcn the?; p r e them a little s a l t ; sonletimes half p i n t Of molasses is given, h o t n o t ofteu. T l ~ e q u a n t i t y of rice,which is of t h e s m a l l I ) r o k a , uusaleahle kind, is one peck. \Vl~en corn is give11 them their allowance is the same, aud if they get i~ ground (Mr. Swa11 had a mill on his plantation), they must give one cl~mrtfor grinding, t h u s reducing their weekly allowance to seven quarts. W h e n fish ( m u l l e t ) w e r e plentiful the?; were iu addition o n e fish. As to meat they seldom had auy. I do uot
' .4nleric~nSlavery us I t Is, p. 12.
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Ibid.. p.
19.
3 :
lbid,, p. I!<.
102
t h i n k they had a u y a l l o w a n r ~ f o r m e a t O f t e n ~ rt h a n o n w in t w o O1. three months, then t h e q n a n t i t y w a s v e r y smilll. W h e u t h e y went into the tield to wnrk t l ~ e y took solne of the meat o r rice ant1 a, pot \\-it11 t h e m ; the pots were givcu to a n d d W O I I l ~ I 1w h o p l a r t d t n . ~ poles , parallel, s e t the pots on the~n a1111kiutllrtl ;l fire nnrlernea tli f o r c o o k i n g ; s h e took s a l t with hrr and i;c,as(~~~etl t h r messes a s slge t h o ~ ~ ~ propcr. lit W h e u t h e i r I>reakfnstwas read Y , w l ~ i r ~\\:IS h g e n e r a l l y abont. ten or elevrll o'clvck, t h r ~ W r e called f r o m lallor, ate, ; ~ n d retnrnetl to w o r k ; iu the afterlloou d i n n e r \\.as 1)repared in the s a m e \vay. T h e y had h u t t w o w e a l s a d a y w h i l e i n t h e field; if they wanted rnore, t l ~ e ycor,l;etl for Ihern*rl\-es after t h e y retllrued to tlleil. quart.ers at i t A T the t i ~ n e of k i l l i n g hogs on the ~ ~ l a u t a t i o tn h,e l>l~('l<, entrails and blood were give11 to t h e ~ 1 ; ~ v e 1s. JIr. C;et~r.yr W.\\'+.stgatr. \ v h o hilt1 I 1 ~ c : l i t . n # a p d i l l tile lo\\--courltrl. t r a d e for. t\velvc? y e a r s . Illore t h a n lla,lf of e a c h ~ P R T p . l . i t ~ c i p a l l y011 the RIississippi, a ~ i i i l t s t r i h t ~ t a r ys t , r r a n l s in t h e s ~ i u t h \ v c s t r r n s l a v e Sta.tes, 821id : e., Natchez and Feetliug is uot sutticieut-let f a r t s s11e:tk. On t h e ~ t r i t ~i.t , t h e (;ul!' of Mexico, t h e allowence w a s w e b a r r e l o f e a r s of corn and a uint of salt p e r 11111ntb. T l ~ e y InaI- ~ w n k this in w h a t m a n n e r t h e y p l e a s e , l ~ t i t (nust 11ed o u r a f t e r c1a1.k; t h c ~ yh a v e 110 d a y l i g h t tu prepnre it 1 ) ~ . S x n e fe\v planters, I)ut o u l y a few, l e t t h e m p r e p a r e t h e i r c o r n 011 S a t u r d a y afternoons. l'lanta;i,r~verseer+ a n d Negroe.: h a v e told me t h a t in pinchin,q ti~nes,i.e.,when c o r n is high, t h e y did uut y e t n e a r that, q u a n t i t y . I n JIiisiesil)pi I kuow some p1ante1.s w h o allowed their hands three ant1 a h a l f ponnds of llleat per week their c o r u <In t h e S:iljl)~\th, whc.11they are \\.hen it \v:lr cheap. J l a n v p r r l ~ a r e uot worked 1111 t h a t J a y , which hi>\\-ever is fre(1uently t h e ca6e ou sugar " ~ I will I o not. suffer plantations. T h e r e :ire v e r v m a n y m a i t e r s 1111 " t h e c ( ~ a + t~ t,hrir i l : ~ c e sto come to t h e ),oats, heca.it;ir t h e y i t e n l 1r1ol:ls3e-; to I ~ a r t e rfor rne;rt; intleetl, they ~ e u e ~ . ; ~tratle l l y Inore o r Ir+ with stulen l.)rolwrty. But it is impossible to tint1 crut w l ~ a t; I I I ~w h e n . a ? their articles of barter are of s11c.h t r i f l i n g irnporta.nce. T h e y wonld o f t e n c o m e ou board to beg a Iwne, a l ~ wunlrl l tell how hatlly t h e y w e r e fed, t h a t t h e y \$'ere n1111ost st:~rved; m a n y a tinle I h a v e s a t 111) a11 nipllt to p r e \ - e ~ then, ~t l'roln s t r a l i u g somel l ~ i n gt ( eat. ~ 2 Slnve* Ilclonginy t o 111err1ia11ti ant1 other..: i n t h e c i t y o f t e n 11iw their own t i i ~ ~te '< ,~ \r v l ~ i ~they ~ l l p:1y v : ~ r i r ~ l)ri,.es, u~ per w e e k o r m o n t h , acl.orcliug to the capnc'ity ~1 t h e slave. 'llhc I'vniales w h o thtls h i r e 1I1rir t i m e lrnrsue various ~ ~ ~ o to d e1)rocure s t h e m o u r y ; t h r i r m a s t c ~ r i ~ n a k i u en o i n q u i r y h n w they g e t it,, l~rovitletl t h e motley comes. If i t . is n o t l e g n l a r l y paid they are ta e k e i n \c;tahing, s o m e cook on I x ~ a r dvessels, pick oakuln, flogged. S ~ ~ n l sell Iwzlnt~ts, etc:., w h i l e others, y o u n g e r a n d m o r e c o ~ n e l yoften , resort to the vilest pursuits. 3 T h i s i s all t h a t good o r twtl masters allow t h e i r sla\-es rnund ahont Snv;tnnah o u t h e 1)lan tations: One 1,eck of g o u r d seed-~.ornis t,o Ile ~ n e a s n r e d out to each sl;i\-e olive e v e r y w e e k . O u e n m n w i t h ~ r l ~ I o labored, ~ n h o w r v e r , heiug t k sironr; to get a11 the w o r k oul, of his h a n d s h e could hefore 1 left(xl1out fifty i n n ~ ~ u i l ) e hou,ght r), for the^:^ ? v e r y week, or twive a. week, a bref's head from a. s o u p in a l a r g e iron kettle, a r o u u d n-hi(:h the m a r k e t . TTTith t l ~ i s they n~ntle hands c a n ~ e at ~ u e a l time, a n d diplbing o u t t h e s o u p would m i x i t with their I Narr;~tive 1 8 1 ' Mr. CIttuIkins on estate of 501111 $\\-an,neur Wlllnllrgtr~n, N.C . : 1836 4111eriCxn S ~ ~ L T P UI S. i ?t. IS, 11. I:% : : Ihid., p. 16. L \ ~ n e r i c i l Slnwry ~i as i t 13, p. :;I).
Economics of the Slave Family
103
I ~ o l n ~ n o n: y~ , n (ei a t i t a s I11ough i t w e r e :I f ~ : ~ o T t .h i s 111811 l ) e r ~ n i t t e (11i.q l sla.\~~i to e a t t\vir2ea d a y w h i l e 1 w a s tloiug :I j o l ~ f o r him. 1 T h e r u r t o n l wan to L~lowt l ~ e h o r n e a r l y in t h e m o r u i l l p , a s a s i g u a l lor t h e hauds to rise antl g o to w o r k , w h e u r o m m e n c * e t l ; t'heq- c o u t i n r ~ e t lw o r k nuti1 allout elf:vcn o'clovk, a. In., w h r u a t t h e s i g n a l a l l h a n d s l e f t off a n d w e n t i u t o their h u t s , n ~ x t l e t h e i r f i x s , m a d e t h e i r corll-lneal i u t o h o m ~ n o n y or rake, ate it, i ~ u dw e n t t o w o r k a g a i n a t tlre s i g n a l of t h e h o r n , a n d \\orlied u n t i l ~ ~ i g h t or 1111til tlrrir t a s k s \ r e r e tloue. S o m e r o o k e d t l ~ r i r I l r e a k f a s t i n t h e tieltl w l ~ i l e at w o r k . Enc.11 s l a v e m u s t g r i n d his o w n c o r u ill a haucl-111i1la f t e r he h a s d o n e his w o r k : ~ t night. T h e r e is generally o n r hand-mill o t ~ every plantation for the u s r o f tlre slaves. Some of t h e l ~ l a n t e r s have no rorn,otl)rrs o f t r ~ ge ~t o n t . Tlle substitute f o r i t ir: tllc e q u i v a l r n t . of o n e p r r k of c o r n e i t h e r i n rice o r s w e e t p o t a t o e s ; ueither of w11icl1 is a s good f u r t l ~ e r l a v c ai: rtorll. T h e y r o m p l a i u m o r e of l ~ c i n gf a i n t w h o feed OII r i c e a n d p o t a t o r s t h a n t v h e n f e d o n r o r n . I w a s \\it11 o n e m a n a f e w w e e k s w h o g a \ , c l n e h i s I~a!~tl.* to d o a ,job of w o r k , a n d to oavv t h e ti111eolle cookctl f u r a l l t h r r e s t . T h e f u l l o w i n p r o l l w e w a s t a k c u : 'l'wo c.rot~-lrc~t s t i c k s w e r e t l r i v r u d o w n ;rt o n e e n d of 1l1e y a r d , i ~ u d a slnall pole I ~ e i n g I:licl 011 t,he r r ~ ~ t c l r e trh . e y s\\.I111g a 11;iI'yc i r o u k e t t l e 1111 t h e ~ n i t l t l l e u p ;L tire u u d e r t h e kt,ttlc, a ~ hoilrtl ~ d ll~r I I U ~ I ~ I ~ ~ I ~ ; nf t h e polt:; t h e u ~ n a t l c when read\- t h e I I ~ I I ( ~ \Yere F called a r o u n d t h i s k c t t l e 1vitl1 t h e i r w o o c t e ~ p~ lates and spoons. T h e y diplled o u t alld a t e st,autliug a r o u n d t h r ket,tlr, o r sitt,iug npon tlre g r o u ~ r d a , s hest s u i t e d t h e i r c o n v e n i e n c e . V ' l ~ e u the:- 11ad p o t a t o e s they took t l ~ e no~ n t xvith t l ~ e i r Ir,zncl.a, a n d a t e then>. A s soon a s i t wn:: thought t h e y h a d hat1 sufficient t i m e to s\vallow t h e i r food t h e y w e r e c:nllctl to tllen. w u r k agitiu. T l ~ i \vaa s t h e o u l y met11 t h e y at,e t h r o u e l ~t,he d a y . ? T h e g r n r r a l allo\va.ncr of fooc! w a s t l ~ o n g l r tt o he a p e c k a n d a 11:~lf of m e a l antl t l ~ r e e p o u n d s of I I X C ' I , ~ a week. T h i s it w a s o h s e r v e d is a s U I U C I I ~ n r a la s they c a u e a t , Inlt t l ~ e ywould he g h t l to 11:1ve m o r e h a c o n ; s o n l e t i ~ n r s tlley receive four l ~ o u n d s I ,~ni t t is o f t e n e r t h a t t h e j - receive lrso t h a n tllree. I t is d i r t r i l ~ n t e t lto t h e m o n 8at.urtlay n i g h t s , o r 01; t h e i w t t e r - n ~ a u a y e d plan tations Solneti~nrs W r t l ~ ~ e s t l a ty o, pret-enL tlrrir ~ l s i l l gi t e x t I ' a v a g a l r t l y , or s e l l i n g it for \r-lri,skey o n S u n d a y . Ollnsted say5 t h a t t l ~ rs l a v e s t a k e t h e i r l ) r e n k f a s t a t s ~ ~ n r i o * re a lit,tle 11eft1rtx,t h e n g o t o t l ~ r field a n d w o r k u ~ ~ t n io l o u ; t h e i r O i u u e r is I ~ r u ~ ~ g to ht est. thenl, a u d w11e11 t h e w o r k is uot tot, p r w s i ~ r gthe)- h a v e t w o Ironrs t <r ~ ~ r o n ~ ~ at ? auutlo\vn t I ~ tl~py sto11wuck a n d ~ . e ; r t r n to t h e i r callins. The11 t h e y go to the wood^, h i l l # wuo(1 a n d vook t h e i r s u p p e r , w h i c l ~w i l l I I a ~ hit of hacon fried o f t r u w i t h e g g s , v o r ~ ~ - l ~ r e11aked :u\ in t h e spiclcr, a f t e r t h e l m m u to at)oorl~ t h e f a t , a n d !lerlral~.< solne s w p e t l ~ o t a t o e ar o a s t e d i n t h r ashes. 3 The p ~ l l ~ g h l l l e g l lo t t h e i r d i n n e r a t t w e l \ - e o'clock: t h o s e u o t nginp I ~ o r s r s , I,elirve, i s do llot u s u : ~ l l yd i n e till t l ~ h va v e f i n i s h e d t h e i r task.;; h u t t l ~ i iI optio~~a nl. i t h t l ~ e m . 'I'llry ronrnlellee w o r k a t 6n11rise m c l a t :~l,out e i g h t O'clWk h a v r t h e i r Irreakfast bl.ought t o tlleln i n t h r field, e a c h h i ~ l ~ h:Lving tl left a 1rncl;et w i t h t h e cook f c ~ rt h a t purposc. .\I1 \ v h r ~n r r w o r k i u g in c o n "ec'lion l e : ~ \ etl1eirw1)1~k f o g r t l ~ e an11 r p u t h e r ill e w r i a l c o m p a u ? - s l ) o u t a tire, "hew t h e y s p e ~ r d ah0111 half a n h o u r , a t I ~ r e a l i f s s t i ~ n e . T h e p r o v i s i o n s f u r uishetl t l ~ e n rconsist ~ n a i ~ l of l y meal, ricae,nuti \-egetxl)les. wit11 s a l t a u d molafises,i~nd o r ( - x s i o u a l l yI I ~ L C O tis11 I I , a n d coffee. T l ~ e a l l o w i r ~ ~ is r ~a e p e c k ,,f ~ n e a l ti 15- of r i w pel. w e e k , t o each w o r k i u g l ~ a n t old l or yonny, an e q ~ ~ i v i t l c qilau ut hcsidrs sllrall store?. 4 'Alllrric:~n Sin\-rry ns It Is. 11. Is. I . 1I)id.. p11. In-19. 4 Ibitl, 1, p "~llurterl: Seabor,rd S~:I\-ti Stnrrs. I , 1111. 120-lTL.
lj0
104
T h e s l a v e s w e r e f u r n i s h e d w i t h a c o a t a n d t r o u s e r s of c o a r s e woollen, \n~oolleu a n d c o t t o n s t u f f f o r w i n t e r , a n d Lronsers of c o t t o n o s n a b u r g for summer. T h e y had t w o p a i r s of shoes, o r a p a i r of s h o e s a n d a p a i r of L,oots each year. T h e w o m e n h a v e t w o d r e s s e s of s t r i p e d c o t t o n , t h r e e s h i f t s , t w o pairs of shoes, e t c . 1
N e g r o e s i n 1890
Section 17. Cieneral Economic Condition. a n d 1900 w e r e as f o l l o w s :
T h e c h i e f occupa,t,ions
Negro Population, at least Ten Years of Age, Engaged In Specified Occupations : 1890 and 1900
I'er cent of Increase
Contlnrntnl United States: A l l orcupatlolls Occupations elvin- rnlployment to a t least lo,l)& ~ e g ~ o In e s1 ! 1 W Agricultural l o borers.. . . . . . . . . . . . . Farmers, plttn ters aurl overserrs . . . . l a b o r e r s inot specified). . . . . . . . . . . Servants a n d waiters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . L a u n d r r r r s a.nd I,:rundresses . . . . . . . l ) r a y n i e r ~h . ackmen, tra~nsters,etc. Stea.111 1.ailro~d employees.. . . . . . . . Miners a n d q11;irryrnen . . . . . . . . . . . . Raw and plt~111ng-nlill enlployens . . . Porters a,nd helprrs (ill stores. etc.1.. Trn.chers, professors 111colleges, r t r (Inrpenters a n d joiners ....... Turpentine f a r m e r s a n d laborers . . . Barbers a n d hr~il'dressers. . . . . . . . . . . . Xursrs a n d ~nidn'ioes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C l e r g y n ~ e n. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tubucco and cigar fnctcrry operatire? Host lrrs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mnsons (I)riclr a n d s t o n e ) . . . . . . . . . . . Uressnlakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Iron :md rt.eel workers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sciulnst rrsseu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J a ~ ~ i r o and r s sextons . . . . . . . . . . . FIr~usrkeepers a n d sttwi~rtls . . . . Fisheru~en a ~ o~ y sd trrll~rn . . . . E ~ ~ g i n e e rtil.e~lrrn. s. ( n o t locomotive1 hs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . l3lacks111lt Other ocrugaf Ions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2 ! l ! I
'28 8
t Decrease. *Excludes t u r p e n t i n e f a r n ~ e r a s n d labort.rs. Turpentine Itu'wers a n d I a l ~ o r r r swere included in "other agricul$Includes f u r p e n t h e farmers a n d luborers.2 8 ! i O . turn1 pursuits" i n 1
TIII-II~ our I I ~a t t e l l t i o n s p r c i f i c a l l y to t h e N e g r o f z i r ~ r l e rwe may s a y : T h e r e was some o w n e r s h i p of l a n d by K e g ~ o e s before t h e w a r , 11ut n o t 111uch. D u r i n g a11d a f t e r t h e war I;m& ill G e o r g i a a n d S o u t h C n r o l i ~ ~ a were s o l d to X e p y o e s on easy terms a n d K e g r o e s b o ~ g h t1a1ld elsew h e r e . I n 1875, t h e r e i s r e a . s o n t o b e l i e v e , Negroes h e l d b e t w e e n t w o a n d four m i l l i o n a c r e s of l a n d ; b y 1880 t h i s had incl.easec1 t o a.'uout six ~ n i l l i o n s ; to a b o l ~ t e i g h t m i l l i o n s in 1890, and t o a b o u t t w e l v e m i t l i o l l s i n 1900.
1 Olnl~tedI , , 1). 1'2!J, 2 Bulletin No n, p. 5R.
General Economic Condition
105
111 1900 there were 187,599 f a r m s in t h e Unitetl S t a t e s o m ~ ~ eby t l Scproes. cwm1)rising a h o u t 12,000,000 acres. T h e owltetl f a r m s constitute 25.201; of a11 Negro f a r m s ; t h c 11rivate fa.rm-o\vning fa mi lie^ i5.304 of all Negro-farnis families. T a k i n g a l l homes, both farm homes a ~ ~ t l ot,hrrs, w e find tha.t 20.3% of t,Iien~a r e owlled. T h e r e were 190,111 private farm-owning Negro fanlilies in 1900, a n d a, s o ~ i ~ e w h a larger t n u m b r r of farm-owning families of a l l sorts. S i ~ ~ c 1890 e the n u m l ~ e r of Negro f a . r ~ ~ i eprobably rs increaseti by about 3fi o r 38 per c e n t , the ~ ~ u ~ nof be Negro r owuers increased over 67 per c e l ~ ta.nd , the perce~itiqe of o\vnership increa,sed by 3.5. These l ) e r c r ~ i t a g e saltliough . ba,setl on figures \vhich a r e n o t e ~ i t i r e l y~ o n i p a ~ ~ a ~ a.re l ) l e sufficiently , e x a c t to measure a.pproximately t,hc a.clrance toward fa.t.lu o w n e r s h i p m a d e b y tl~e Keyroes d u r i n g t h e d e c a d e 1890 to 1900. These owners-including 1ndia.11 a~ n d Mongolians, w h o c o ~ ~ s t i t u tI, ~ e u 3% t of d l - h a r e 16 i n i l l i o ~ ~ a c r r s wort11 $179,79G,G39, m t l raised in 1899 p r o t l ~ ~ c tworth s $57,422,983. They rspeniletl $2,624,695 for I ~ i r e t llabor, mltl $1.197,180 for fertilizers. slavery ~~ and The hlack t,enant f w m e r of the S o u t h is I d f wa.y b e t ~ v e e free-o\vnership of tlie soil. Tile crop-lie11 s y s t e m I)intls h i m in a blackbelt of f a . r i n i ~ ~ which g i s growing I~l:~clrer. Vncler favorable c o n d i t i o ~ ~ s share tenant,s hecome c a s h ~ . n ~ ~ t a,nd e r s e v e n t u a l l y owners, b u t t h i s i~ evol~~tio n difficult. T h e r e a r e 283,614 X e g r o sha,re t,enaut f a r m e r s i n the s r ~ ~ a r a t e t h e United S t a t e s m i l 27.3.5li0 cash t e n a n t s , R . I I ~a1tho~1g.h fa'rrns they cultivate a.re s111a11,t h e r e is great concentration in ownership o f 1a.ntl by t h e landlords. T h e colored tena.uts control 2.5 million a c r r s of laud a n d 360 m i l l i o t ~dollars of fa,rm p r o p e r t y ; t h e y raise 200 million do1la.r~worth of products a n n u a l l y , inclucling 3 million hales of cotton, 73 ~ i ~ i l l i o hushels n of corn, 6 million bushels of sweet potatoes. 21K).000 toils of h a y a n d forage, 152 million bushels of w h e a t , 2 ~o u ~ ~ d of s rice a n d 621, 1ni1lio11 million b u s l ~ e l s of o a t s , 31 n l i l l i o ~p p o ~ ~ n c of l s tobacco. T h e a v e r a g e sha.re-tenaut's far111 is worth $628. I t ha,s h n t l worth $135, $84 in b u i l d i ~ ~ g$19 s , in tools, a n d $90 i l l live stock. It raises o n a n a v e r a g e $311 mort,h of products, or $7.333 worth per acre. , a ~ t~ e nd a n t s , we ha.ve iu the Considering all Negro f a r n ~ e r sowners by Uuited S t a t e s 746,717 fa,rms c o ~ ~ d u c t e d t h e m , w i t h all acreage a.bout, t h e size of New E ~ ~ g l a ~ ~ c lt.h i s acreage less t h a u a million a w e s are Of in t l ~ e North a n d 35 nill lions i l l tlie South. Of these f a r m s 716,511 were improved by bnilclir~gs,a n d t h e y c o ~ ~ t a i n e 98,233,933 d acres, or 69,741 square miles, a u area a b o u t eyua,l to t h a t of t h e S t a t e of Georgia or t h a t of New E n g l a n d ; 23,362,798 acres, or 61 per c e n t of t h e total a r e a , w a s improved for f a r m i n g purposes T h e total value of property on these f a r m \ \ a s $199.943,7331, of w h i c l ~$321,244,397 represented t h e value of land and l l n p r o v e m e ~ ~ t$71,903,315 s, t h a t of buildings, $18,859,757 t h a t of i ~ n p l r m e n t sa ~ t dm a c h i ~ r e r ya , n d $84,996,265t h a t of l i r e stock. T h e 011 f a r ~ n of s Kegroes i n 1899 w a s $25S,761,115. gross value of all p ~ o t l u c t s Of t h i s sulu, however, $45,843,4433 represents products fed to live stock, the value ot which reappears a n d i s to t h a t ~ x t e n duplicated t in tlie reported value of a n i m a l products, such a s m e a t . ~ n i l k butter, , eggs a n d
106
poultry; s u b t r a c t i n g t h i s a m o u n t w e h a v e a n e t value of b229,907,70.2, Or 46 per c e n t of t h e t o t a l value of f a r m property in f a r m c ~ ~ l t i v ahtY~ ( ~ Negroes. T h i s s u m represents t h e gross f a r m Income. T h e total expentliture f o r l a b o r on f a r m s of Negroes ill 1899 Was $8,789,792,and the e x p e n d i t u r e for fertilizers w a s $5,614,844 A t h i r d of t h e Negro f a r m s yielded $lOO to $250 i n c o m e ; another third $250 to $500 i t i c o n ~ e ;s o m e t h i n g over a s e v r n t h yielded over $500. ~h~ less t h a n $100. E s t i m a t i n g t h e net income rest, 18 per c e n t , a f t e r t h e r e n t h a s been s u b t r a c t e d , i t is probable t h a t 560.000Negro-farm fanlilies h a r e i n c o m e s between $150 arid $170 a y e a r . w l ~ i l e about families a v e r a g e $250 to $275 a year. T h e colored f a r m e r conducts a little less than of all the farms i-. n. t h e United S t a t e s ; controls , ' ,of t h e totn.1 fa.rm acrea'ge a n d of all farm p r o p e r t y i n v a l u e , a n d ra.ises +T of t'he products in value. I n the South t h e N e g r o h o l d s a t h i r d of t h e f a r n i s , a t e n t h of t h e acreage alld a ninth of t h e property, a n d raises of t h e product's. H e conducts half t h e f a , r m s on w h i c h cott,on is t h e chief crop, over a third of the rice farms, n e a r l y a fifth of t,he tobacco f a r m s , a s e v e n t h of t h e suga,r farnls a n d a t e n t h of t h e vegetable farms. C!olorecl farriwrs raised. in 1899, 39.4% of t h e c o t t o n on their own f a r m s , I ~ e s i d e sw h a t they raised as laborers on w h i t e f a . r r i ~ s 9% ; of tlie rice, 21jb' of t h e s w e e t potatoes, 10% of t h e toba,cco, a,nd 434 of t h e corn. T h e y owned 3% in value of t,he st,ock. T h e a v e r a g e N e g r o fa,rnl is worth 16% a s r n l ~ c ha s the arera,ge w h i t e fa.rm. T h e N e g r o is t h u s seen t o he r r l a t i v e l y a sma,ll economic factor a c c o r d i n g t o h i s n u m b e r s , Ilut n e v r r t h r l e a s a fa.ctor tha.t ca,nnot be ignored a n d w h i c h is ahsolut'ely of g r e a t irnportance. T o estininte t h e t o t a l property h e l d by Negroes w e inay quote a report of a c o m m i t t e e of t h e American Economic Association based on t i e census ot: 1900: I t is the upiuion of your committee that t,he census farm returns fnrnish a better hasis for c~etimatiugthe total : ~ c c u m ~ ~ l a twealth etl possessed hy the Kegroes in 1900 t h a n is found in the only other source t l ~ a t11aa been med, Bureau namely, t l ~ e asses.sors' returns for a few Southern States. The C'cus~is estimate is .1;2~0,(lCNl,(lOO for the value of (1) the farms, lire-stock and i~uplements on the farms owned a n d operated hy Negroes and of ( 9 ) the live-stock on the farms rented hy Negroes. This should be increased by ( 3 ) the farm propert,y owned by h'egroes aud rented by them either to Negroes or to whites, and also by (4) tlie farm l ~ r o p e r t y other than livestock owned by Negro farm tenants. I t shonld be decreased by (1) the various nuknown liabilities against this property in the h a n d s of whites and by (2) the value of the live-stork of Negro teuants which is owtlerl by white Iaudlorrls. I t is tlie lwlief of yonr coinmittee that the subtrartious would a t least e q ~ l a the l additions, and that $3W,(W,000 may he deemed a n outside eotiinate of the net value of the accnmnlated property owned by Negro farmers. Iucleed it seenls to 11s probable that this estimate would be large enongh to inrlllde also the wealth owned by the 5.5(4!I@l farnilies of agricultl\ral lal~orers. I n other words, we helieve that the total property held b y these families is not greater than the legal claims held by whites against Negro far111property plus the proport,ion of the $?iO,OOU,~KH) worth of live-stock on the f a r m s of S e g r o tenant8 w l ~ i ~ is h owned hy whites, of neither of which is a n y acc30uuttaken in tlle Ceusus Bureau estimate.
~(x),w
Georgia
107
If this be granted, then the further assumpt.ion m a y l x venturccl that the other T,oll,tn)O Negro families in the LTuited States are n o hetter off ou the a r e r a r e in the ~ ~ ~ n tuf t eacculiiulatrd r \vealt,h t l i a r ~are t h e 1 : ~ulillion families o(:cupietl in a g r i c ~ ~ l t u r a pl n r s ~ ~ i t sOn . that aasunipt~ionthe total a c c u m ~ ~ l a t e c l \vralth of Negro families in 1900 was in t h e neighborhood of $275,000,000. All inquiry iuto the value of the property held by Negro churches in 18!JO ga\.c: as a result $26,(iil0,000. As t h e Negro population of the United States inr.~.ensedhetween lSO0 a n d lUOU by 18.0 percent a u d the n ~ u n b e rof Negro t - l ~ i ~ r c honly e s abont two-thirds as fast, thc r a l u e of property held by Negro cl~urcliescan hardly he sopposed to have iucreaded d u r i n g t h e decade hy Illore than 20 per cent. I n that case t h e value of such property i n 1WO w a s apl)roximately $32,000,001). The legal claims against it owned by whites cannot he estimated. Xor does your committ,ee see a n y w a y in which t,he amount of property held I>yNegroes other t h a n fanlily or church property can he approximatetl. T h e evidence in hand leads \-our committee to t h e conclusion that the accumulated wealth of t h e N e j i ~ o yacc in t h e United Stat,es i n 1900 was apl ~ r o x i m a t e l y$:3lJO,OOO,U(H), and p ~ o l m l ~ l neither y 1es.i t h a n $2T,O,U~lil,000 nor more t h a n $850,000,(1~ 1 0 .
Section 18. Oeorgia. A m o r e d e t a i l e d p i c t u r e of p r o p e r t y o w n e d by N e g ~ o e s is furuishecl b y t l l r r e p o r t s of t h e C'olt~ptroller-Gerleral

of G e o r g i a :
Number of Acres and Assessed Value of Land Owned b y Negroes of Georgla. 1874 t o 1907
YEAR
-I
owued
Arres
i u I Not
reported.
A n e s a m i l ~ a t i o not t h e r e c o r d s of t y p i c a l c o u n t i e s s h o w t h a t t h i s l a n d w a s distrihutrcl a b o u t n s follows:
108

Farm Land, 1899, Approximate Distribution b y Assessed Value
Per cent of Owners U n d e r $lclO . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Per rent 0f Value
$IOU o r under I H O O ............. $WIl o r n n d e r $5C(1 . . . . . . . . . . . $.Wo o r u n d e r $ l O U O

.......
..........
Farm Land, 1906
Per cent of
Owners
Per cent of
Vnlue
U n d e r $lW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110U o r u n d e r Wli, . . . . . . . . . . . $Nl0 o r u n d e r $MO . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5IM o r u u d e r 81000 . . . . . . . . . . . $lOKl o r u n d e r $ 2 ) 0 0........ $Xml a n d o v e r . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Farm Land, 1899: Approximate Distribution b y Acres
--
i
. -
Prr v n t of Owners
1
1
Percent of Acreage
U n d e r 10 ncres . . . . . . . . . . . 10 ncres o r n n d e r 50 . . . . 6 1 ) acres or ~ l u d r ~ 1011 r ...... 1 1 1 0R C ~ C S 0 1 ' 1llldPr :3IfI . . . :1NI acres rrr u n d e r ,VH1 . . . . . . N K I a c r e s hlld o v e r . . . . . . .
-
Ilj.5
16 0 42 2 13 Y
1 1 1 10
Farm Lend, 1906
- . -
100.0
Per cent of O\\neru
--
Per c e n t Acreilp
of
e . . . . . . . . . n d r I r 1 1 1 ncres t , r u ~ i d e 511 r ....... .illncrrs o r u ~ i d r 100 r . . . 1INl nvre. # > r u u < I e r:%HI . . . . . . :VKl trcl.es o r nnclrr 5rm . . . . 5nO ncres a n d O\ e r . .....
Georgia
109
Assessed Value of Town and City Real Estate and Per Cent of Town and City Real Estate of Total Property Owned b y Negroes of Oeorgia, 1875 to 1907
Assessed ..,ue
Per cent o f total property
'1 /1 j
TEAR
issessed value
'er cent of t l l t l r l xoperty
Georgia Town and Clty Property, 1899. Approximate Distribution by Value
Per cent of OH ners U n d e r $lnO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $llllJ o r under $:XI0 . . . . . . . . . . . $:lo0 or u n d e r I X N . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 3 0 or u n d e r $ l O W . . . . . . . . . SlO(K) or uiider (20oU.. . . . . . . . . . )PO011 a n d over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Town and Clty Property, 1906
11
P e r relit of Owners
Per c e n t of Value
110
Assessed Value of Horses, Moles, Cattle, and Other Stock, and of Plantation and Mechanical Tools, Owned by Negroes of (leorgia, 1875 to 1907
1
TEAR
Assessed V a l u e Horses, m u l e s , Cattle, a n d other stork
-issessed Value
Horses 'lantati~~ n ~ u l e stit. , nnd met le, a n d cllanlcal u t h e ~stock tools
\
chnnicnl tools
l o ) N o t reported.
Assessed Value o f Household and Kltchen Furniture Owned by Negroes of (leorgia, 1875 to 1907
Assessed
YEAR
Assessed 181~.
A s s e s s e d Value of Total Property Owned by Negroes of Georgla, 1874 to 1907
Assessed vslaa
Assesset1 value
~ssessed value
Income
111
Since 1900 Negro property in G r o r g i a h a s increased 83.41b6. If Negro property t l ~ r o u g l ~ o the u t Nation has increased in like proportion (a,nd this is wholly conjectural), then, to use t h e phraseology of tile Alneriof car1 Economic Associa.tion Comlnitt,ee: "The a c c u ~ 1 ~ u l r t e t wea1t.h l the Negro race in t h e [Jnited Sta,tes in 1907 ma.y be approsiaia,tely less r t h a n $5G0,000.!M0 nor more t h a n $560,000,000 a.lld ~ ) o s s i h l y~ ~ e i t , l l e $(i00,OC~,000." Tlle ecol~omio situation of Kegro Americans is t h u s surnmed 111):
To sum then the conclnoions of this paper: half the Negro breadwinners o f the nation are partially submerged hy a hnd economic system, a n u n j t ~ s t aclmiration of t,he laws and enforced ignorance. Their future depends on con~inon s(!ho,~ls, justice, and the right t u vote. A million antl t,hrae-qnarters of u ~ e u just above these are fighting a fier(:e battle for admission to the inclortrial ranks of the nation-for the right to work. They are handicapped hy their own i n i l ~ ~ s t ~ r Iliptorg ial which has ~ n a d e tliem often slriftless and nutrust\r-ortlly, but t l ~ e y can,l~y means of wise ecu~~olnic leatlersllil),l)e made a strong body of bytisans an(\ landownerl;. A quarter of a million men st.acd eronomically a t the heat1 of the Negroes, and I ) ? s pe(!uliar self-protecting groul, econo1u)- arc making thel~lselyesindeyendeut of prejuclic!e antl competition. This gronp economy is extending to the lower economic strata."
Section 19. Income. S o n ~ eideas of t h e income of Negro f a m i l i e s m a y he gat,l~eredfrom t h e following figures:

Number
of
Families b y Size of Family and Annual Income. Farmville, Va., 1897

.
-
$50 or less . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I 3 $ I to *$75.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 $75 to g1110,. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 ElWl t ~ 61.W , ................ 1 11.50 to $ I W . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2WI ti, 82:fi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 $250 to $d5V . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . to $6110.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $600 to S7.iIl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
nso
& X U or over . . . . . . . . . . . . . Not reported . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Total Fau~IIies . . IS
'Fro~uPapers and Proceedings of t h e Eighteenth Annual Meeting hmerlcon EconOl+llc Associatlon, December, IUO6.

Number nf Families by Size of Family and Annual Income N ~ q ~ o rof a Xcnzo, Oh?,),1903
--
--
FAMILIES OF
U n d e r $5ri . . . . . . . . . . . 1 '1 1 7 5 . . . . . . . . 4 $i,5to$lOU.. ......... 4 $100 t o $150 . . . . . . . . 7 $l%l t o $2011 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 :%l)l, t o l ? 5 U . . . . , . . . . . 7 $250t.0$%50. . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 $350 t o $ 5 M l . . . . . . . 3 $.sou t o aso . . . . . . . . . . . 97.50 t o $1000 . . . . . . . . . . %lOOl) o r o v e r . . . . I . N o t reported . . . . , I1
5
...I : :.:
,, I o m l
Estimated Annual Income and Expenditure of a Family of Five
11 w r r k s tG $1; 51) 11rr \vrek. . . . . . . . . '26~vct.k tn ~ 7 3 1 per \verk. . . . . . .
1
Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1 1i
171 5 O / / ~ e n (@ t $3 1 1 )p e r I I I O I I ~ ~ . . . . . . $Bti In 1% (K,6(!loth111~. Itu'o s u i t s , . . . . . . . . . . . . . ?rl 110 ~nclercrolhes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Y UO 811oeu a n d s t o c k l l ~ g s . . . . . . . . !I @ I Groceries a n d Innat in>SOc. p e r wekk ss IN .... Doctor's bill crud l u r d i c l u e 15 (X) Life I n s u r a n c e f o r 4 iw 5c pr. wk.en. 10 40 I n d d r n t a l s a n d rr~iscellaneou?l.... 12 10 ~ o r t n g t o ~ e n t a .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ;fi I N I Fnel e n d lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311) CNI
.....................
l-
bPtiti50
Income
Incomes According t o Size of Famlly in Seventh Ward.
. I
113
1896.
Philadeluhia
e i z e of Family
Aruount Per Year
Income
Of
l1
Total Number
of
Fanlilies
The in coin^ aceording tt~) size of family is inclicatecl l n t h e n e x t table. From this, m a k i n g t h e family a standard of five, a n d m a k i n g some th ea t 19 per cent allowance for large and s m a l l families, me can c o n c l ~ ~ d of t h r t N e ~ r o families i n t h e Seventh W a r d e a r n f i r e cIol1:~rsa n d less per week or1 the a r e r a p p ; 48 per relit earn between $5 R I I ~ $10; 26 per cent, $10-$15, 2nd 8 per c r n t over $15 per mrek.
Philadelphia, 1896
$5 and less.. . . . . . $6 t o I n . . . . . . . . . $10 to 15 . . . . . . . . . . $15 t o 2 0 . . . . . . . . . . .
-1.20
2 ; : :
1m8
581
81
1'?0 and over. . . .

Totnl
......
..I
96
8.8 Very poor. 8.6 Po(>r. 17.8 Fair. 25.5 : Gomlortnhle. 4 0 1 (;owl circunlstances. 4 . 9 / Well-to-do.
1100.0
2.276
The following tables of A t l m t a Negro b ~ t d p e t were i m a d r tip in 1900:
Budgets
No. 2. Farm-Hand, 1 Five Persnns INCOXE EXPEXI)IT~RE
115
lte~ns
i $1-14 00 51 Kl
18 00
-Food p e r week f@ $1.70 for 5 . 2 ureks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fuel nnd lighting: 7 cords of wood @ $:J.W. S21.W; nil @ 1Uc. a for .iY u c r k s , $5.20 . . . . . . Clothing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rl i s ~ ~ e l l i ~ n e o u . .s .. . . . . . . . . .
h~nout n
Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4I
3
: ......................
--
PI4
00
KO. 3. Labore
Five Persons EXPEX~ITUHE

I t elus
MRIL::lo wks. work i a $13 . . . . . . Wile: 1 9 wks. coukiiIg (ij $ ~ . . j l )
per wlr.; 18 \\.ks. wnshinp 91 per wk. . . . . . . . . . .
............................. u To1)acro @I Mc per w k . . . . . . . . . l\liscelln.neous . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . On h n n d . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -
Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
$;%!I (10
Total
No. 4. Farmer and Laborer, Four Persons

-.
Items
-
h n ( ~ u 1t 1
Itelll~
Alunllnt $.50 no 1m1 00 10 ( x )

26 on
$ :tx) i ~(:lathes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IOU m Food . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tax
..........................
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Au~uselnents . . O t h e r purposes
rn ~ n )
T o t .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Estinlnte(1, see 1T. S. B u l l r t l n of t h e B u r e a u of L a l w r NIJ.82. !Estirllnted, Xenin. Dhlo. R u r e a u o f t h e U. 8. Bureau of Lahol. No. J T h i s portion incindes a p a r t w h i c h is s p e n t upon d r i n k .
I 48.
I-
$ 4 1 .1 . --
116

No. 5. Farmer and Teacher. Nine Persons
\
INCOXE
- -~
ESPEN~ITURE
Items
--
._-I
5(tl
11)s.@ 9 ~. ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Y cows @ $23... . . . . . . . . . . . . . F o r teaching x m o n t h e . . . . . . . .
x bales of cotton weighing
1
i
Amount
Itrills
--.
- Amt.
Pr. Ct.
_Z-
b '
$3RI 00 40 M
l(j0
00
Food . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ~2%) lo Fuel a n d light . . . . . . . . . . . 2 %) Clothes.. . . . . . . . . . . . OD Sickness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 ~ t h op ru r p o s e s . . . . . . . . 16 ,x) Balnnce o n h a n d . . . . . . . . . 205 40,
-._-~
dl
q 1 4 : ~
:mi
~
7 1
-~
Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
LNI iU
Total
.................
t5HiLO(
No. 6. Laborer, S i x Persons

INCol\IE Itenis
-
Ii
Amount
EX~ENLIITUHE
.
Items
%I
-4lnt.
-1
PI. ~ t .
Labor n n d i n c o m e . . . . . . . . . . . . .
I
I
I
Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2511 M)' .................. 100 M) T a x e s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 1 K 1 . 2,,11, Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 00 5 Other thillgs . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 8 4 (XI( 13:75
;,
$65000
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $65001)' l(m%
I
No. 7 . Laborer. Five Persons

Ilvcour: Items Labor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Amount EXPENDITURE Items
)
I
hlnt.
$6'2.5 00
Food . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . g?50 00 Clothes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125 (XI R e n t a u d tkiscs . . . . . . . . 1" I@ Fuel a n d l i g h t . . . . . . . . . . 3 1 1 00 Family savings. . . . . . . . . 27 1@ Other t h i u ~ s. .. . . . . . . . . . 72 Uo
-
Total. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
662.5 Oo
Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
$625 rn
No. 8. Farmer. Eleven Persons
Items Cotton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Beans a n d potatoes . . . . . . . . . . Chickens.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tobacco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Peas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Odd work o n o t h e r f a r m s . . . Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
$500 00
12 50 12 50
20 00
5 (X) 76 00
N P a i d ou t o n l a n d a u d stock $200 I B a l a n c e snved u p . . . . . . 1.U YJ Food . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150 00 y 0,) Clothing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 15 Oo C h u r c h a n d secret orders 2 3'1 T a x e s . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1 550
21 0 16 0 4.0
.4
Budgets
No. 9. Brickmason and Driver, Seven Persons
Items
-1
Items
-
Amt.
Pr.ct.
Average y e a r l y I'eturns A S brlckmason a n d ctrlrer .
Food ................ Furl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C l o t l l ~ s. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pagrnents on I i u r ~ ~ ae nd tn.xes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . For a ~ ~ l u s e n i e l. ~ .t . s. . . Ruunin:' house a n d p a y n l r n t s o f w a t e r bills . . For rliurrl~ ~~urpos's ...... Sl<:k~~e as nsd t o o t h bi11 Societies . . . . . . . . . . . . Eooks, p a p e r , perlotlluals Huvings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Totnl
No. 10. Farm-hand
-.
I
Georzial. 12 Persons
--
--
5 t o n s c o t t o n svrdsCj 16.50.. . . .
>, of 30 I x t l t ~ c o t t o n st7
.....
Ralnnce d u e Iwnctlortl . . . . . . . . . .
Clothes... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 s u i r s @#16.25. . . $113 75 Yundav d r e s s e s . . . 21 2.ii Burrowed $25 n o t e f o r . . . . . Meuding s h o e s . . . . . . . . . . . 2 boxes Lohacco . . . . . . . . . . . . Gun (second-hand1 . . . . . . . Ruggy (second-hrtnd) . . . . . . ................. :'BR.?guano 22.50. . 2 boxes shells @ 55 . . . . . . . . . Taxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
, LWnl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Janitor. Three Persona
-
0 XI
I I
1819 :%51 I(*%
Items
No. 11.
- -
)fan's s a l o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Woman's se'wing.. . . . . . . . . . . House r e n t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Ad
Iln(!unt
"ti
00
Iteuls
Clothes ..................
.................
i.il (10
Insurance and church ....I Amusen~ents . . . . . . . . . Medicine a n d t o i l e t m t i CICS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Aint. P r . c L .
115 rm 7'1 (KJ
$%!I 00
41 7
)
13 0
3 00 I
21 2 50 1 : ) 1
Ether things... . . . . . . . . . . . . l a x e s. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brtlance s n r e d u p . . . . . . . . .

--I
IIM 00
172 011
. 4400
118
-

No. 12. Brickmason. Nine Persons
I/
F o r l a i n g I,!icks.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . For u a s b i n g n n d i r o n i n g . . . . .
ESPZNI)~T~:R~
No. 13. Teachrr. Ten Persons
Items
. i .............. Rent Nursiug < A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . T P H C ~ i ~ .~ . .C ..............
1 ~rnount
I
I
$210 cM
MI INI ; i ~ 4uo
Items Clothes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fool . . . . . . . . . . . 432 *I fl Q 113 MI Taxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7. 2 5 2 MI Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 3 X 1x1 Re.pair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 00 Inswance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.5 (XI '. 31 9 Anluselllel~t. . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 M Sickness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hlr ~o I other ~mrposcs.. . . . . S a r i u g s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . j 2b2 MI 18.3
No. 14. M s i l Carrier. Nlne Persons
--1N~onrE
--ExPeNr,ITIlKE
Items M > I I ~s' n s l a r r fi: $85 p e r m o n t h [or I ?eni.. - . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Unughter's salary (@ $221 p e r lllouth for 1 y e a r . . . Rent for 1 house @I $15 per m i
Ttrlna Food supplies i ? $36 prr Illoll tll. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . W a t e r ancl p n s . . . . . Coa.1 n , r ~ d fuel. . . . . . . Taars ..................... Clothes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Incidentals and repalrd Othor t h i n g s . . . . . . . . . . . Savings. . . . .
Budgets
N o . 15.
Farmer, EIeven Persons
Items
Amount
0
'ood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . a? bu. pans@ BS . . 1-14 00 8 081. ~ i n e g a @40c.. r . . . 8 90 5 (Kl 4 Furkeys 1 ~ $1.25 8 .... 4 0 Ibs. ~ b u t t e r (81 15c. . . 60110 I l.Wgnl.buttrl.~~lilL(a loo 16 00 1 105t i o ~eggs . a xnc . . . . . . 21 no I 5 Oi) 225 chickens f$ ?llc . . . 4 Fruit .............. 1.50 1 1 Watermelons. . . . . . . 17 00 I75 gal. u i o l a ~ s e a . . . . . . 85 Cnl Totnl . . . . . . . . . . . . Live stock . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 p i g s (y $ 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . l o . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2825 Total . . . $'72?5 I R cords of \vood tnr %Z..io. . . . . 3 tuns nf cotton sszd iii $21. . . . R hw.ler; of c ~ . ~ t(@ t~ $52 ~. n ......
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
-I
15 bhls. flonr . . . . . . . . . 4 0 bu. C O ~ I I . .. . . . . . . . . . 20 gal. s y r u p i@: 35~ . . . &?II 11)s. bacon fa Ile . . . Sngar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Peppt'r. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 lbs. w d n 5c . . . Spice . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 stlcks of s a l t 1: 811~' I.elnc111e x t r a c t . . . . . . ' ? g a l . r l n e g a r @ i 4 l k. . . 5 1 1 Ihs. herf @ Illc. . . . . . Lard ................. Ginger. . . . . . . . . . . . . . C'offer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
(. . l: ltS
............
I r i s h potatoes .
Total . . . . . . . .
: I c ~ t h r s. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 sultb fn $15 . . . . . . . $75 tH> H prs. s11or.j ; s u n d a y ) m. tmr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . zo NI
10prs.shoes(evrr).rltry) f$ $2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Llress goods ( S u n d a y I do (eversdav) Pius . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kocks and stocl;ings..
20 00
600o
S 25
25 50 15 1
TIILIII . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$x~:i #I Rents rind tnxea. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $1; 110 Road t8 x . . . . . . . . . . S t n t r t:ix . . . . . . . . . . . I? 50 I n t e r e s t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . %5 00 Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . $103 50 [Inrsr Fund . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2~bu.o~ts@F. 5. c . . . $1H00 2 bu. r >e (5; $1.25 . . . . 2 . % I 6 sacks hran $l.f?o.. . 7 20 e T o t a l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $4270 i i e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Uoctor'~ hillcsicknrssl $36 7.5 Turpentine . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 salturtre . . . . . . . 1 IU) Alum. ............ I5 2 gal. whlskey @ $2275. 5 50 P n t e n t iiirclicine . . . . . 2 50 r 1o d e n t i s t . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 X! 3 pligs. h o m e p o w d e r . . 75
7
Repairs
.................... 1 wntch . . . . . . . . . . . $1 (H! 7 prs. shoes f & 45c . . . H 15 S h o r i u g h o r s e s . . . . . . . . 6 00 3loWs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 25 General s h o p w c ~ r k.. 10 75 On house d w e l l l l ~ g . . . 5 26
Totnl
. . . . . . . . . . . $31 411
Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
120
Total . . . . . . . . . . $ 5 6 ~ Luxuried . . . . . . . . . . MI s a c k s s n i o k i n g tohacco . . . . . . . $3 IN I d m . plintos . . . . 2 25 % 110s cigars . . . . . . 100 ORlldy . . . . . . . . 160 I d m . o r a n g e s @ HOc. . 120 J e w e l r y . . . . . . . . . . . 11 '25 T o t a l . . . . . . . . . . . 120 20 Farming ilnplrn~ents . . . . Gear, h a r n r s s , hors . $7 86 16 b a s k e t s @75c . . . . . lZ(K) Irlisc h a r r o w . . . . B l ( r ) 1 ~ n o w e r . . . . . . . . . . . 75 lhl 1 two-horse wagon . . . 05 MI 2 a x e s @ 7Sc . . . . . . . 1 . W S buggy w h l p s . . . 150 Plows . . . . . . . . . . . 11 25 T o t a l . . . . . . $1!8 1 0 H o ~ l s e h o l d~ ) u r p o s e s . . . . . F u r n i t u r e . . . . . . . . . $16%5 d lau~p. s. . . . . . . . . . . . 4 25 Soap . . . . . . . 3 25 Matches.. . . . . . . 40 Lnu~uoil .......... 676
/1
Tot-al ........ p lM Lire animals ....... 2 ulules @ 3;225 . . . . . . IIM'OO Seed t r e r s .............. 20 f r u l t trees. . . . . . . $1825 Garden sreds . . . . . . . 4.5 ~ ' a t c n n e l i ~seed n 60 Flower seed.. . . ti5
'I'otnl . . . . . . . . $lW5 ~ u ~ nl oot o , n s (@: 3;XI . . . . . Improyemelits . . . . . . . L i g h t u l n g r o d s . . . . . .$Ill)(MI 28 gal. p a i n t @ $1.10 . . 30 :3) 3 qts. u ~ n c h i n e oll (ai 10c
l
(
I n d d e n tals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Clhurch assessment. . $16 M s c l i m l f u n d s . . . . . . 6 75 Railroad fnre . . . . 556 Cllnrity. . . . . . . . 150 s t a . u ~ pa sn d sta.tionrry 2 MI Books. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 75 N e w s p a p e r . . . . . . . . . . 6 XI Daughter's education. 6000
. . . . . .
Total . . . . . . . . . ..$lO~~(* P a i d on old d e b t . . . . . . . . . . .
_ _
T o t ...................
$21- %5
Budgets
No. 15 (Continued)
Brought forward.. . . . . . . . . . Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Totf~I . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

p a -
iI
$.Lltili 45
40
Brougl~t forward
...I
S14W U5
--
--
RECAPITI'LATION
-
Ite111s
IFood. ....................
('lathes
. ....
8 2 4 I
~ e n ta sn d t i x k s : . ....... HurIt~gs ~ i l l c l u d ' ga n I o u n t paid o n uld d e b t . . fill2 43: 2.1 5 tltl~rr purposes including h r , r s ~ food, ~ u e d i c i n r , r r p n ~ r spersonal , s ~ r \ -1 Ice, luxuries, f f ~ r ~ u i ! n g i n ~ p l e m e n t s housel114d , ' purposes, l i r e ~ n i ~ t ~ i l l s . g u a n o , seed trees. a n d 1347 Xi 64 7 i n c ~ d e u t r t l s ). . . . . . . . .
1,
3113% I ' iw G .o 1
~-
~ o r a l. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
11rc:nmr Iyenrl5-i . . . . . . . . Ualnncr . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
I
prw
x5
lrx~k
, 2461; 15
No. 16. Farmer. Ten Persons
Auluunt
-
Items
~ m t .~ r . c . t .
-I
F a t h e r for o n e year. . . . Tuu sons f o r o u r r e a r . . . . I~~~If Io IrI rP e n t i ~till0 f n r r e s iif 91.W p e r a c r e . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
$iilrnI (XI
500 00
'400
00
Railrotxi t r a v e l s
...........
Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
.........
FalnlLy snrings . . . . . . . .
p 3 ~ 1 IX) o
- - _ - L p

No. 17. Farmer, Six Persons
Items
Amount For food . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Restaurant food . . . . . . . . . . Fuel und lights . . . . . . . . . . . Clothes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rent a ~ t ~ l x e s .... . . . . . . . Unt\,ccounted f o r . . . . . . . . . . Amusements . . . . . . . . Sickness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Helper I 1 1 restaurant,. . . . For running house and kerpill~ u p 1'0 l l i n e
etc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Savings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3602 501
-_
-I
One i l l d i c a ~ i o of ~ ~t h e s t r e n g t h e l ~ i n g of f a m i l y life a n d sounder nomic conclit~ons 1s tound in t h e proportion ot ~ t u r l e n t s in a school like A t l a n t a University w h o a r e supported by t h r i r families. A search of t h e University records reveals t h e f o l l o m ~ l ~ ap g p r o s m a t e results: A -
Supported by RlllllY
Selfsulmorted
Section 21. Rents. T w o h e a v y itenls of expense for t h e poor a r e r e u t a n d food. T h e f o l l o w i ~ l gtables show certain typical rents. I n t h e ro11ntry ~t is not possible to distinguish t h e l e u t froin tlle wages in m o s t cases: Farmville, Va.
Famllies Ownina and Renting Homes, by Number of Rooms to a Dwelling
-
--
I
I
FAXILIES OCClJPYINCi DWELLINGS O F
Rents
123
Of t h e s e 148 t ~ n m ~ t15 s ,r e n t f r o m Npgrnes a l ~ t l133 f ~ o m whites. Several of t l ~ e tenancs on11 l a n d . T h e rc.nts paid hy 83 t y p i c a l t e n a n t s a r e reported i n t h e following table, a n d f r o m t h e s e t h e t o t a l a n n u a l r e n t (~t f h l s c o l n m u n i t y i s e s t i ~ ~ ~ a tartca lb o u t f600U. chx~ge
Rents
Daid b y T y ~ i c a l Families, b y Number of
--
Rooms
to a Dwelling
Not
reported
. . .
Philadelphia. T h e i ~ ~ q u i r of y 16418 returned q ~ ~ i f tu el l st,atistics of reuts paid by ttle Negroes. I n t h e w h o l e c i t y a t t h a t d a t e 4019 N e g r o $199,HK5.46 in reut. or a.u a,verage of $49.68 p e r f a m i l y e a c h families pamid Year. Tpn yea,rs e a r l i e r t h e a r e r a . g e w a s $44.00 p e r f a m i l y . N o t h i n g better indicates t h e g r o w t h of t h o N e g r o population in n u m b e r s a n d Power w11el1 w e cornpare wit11 t h i s t h e figures of 1896 f o r o n e w a r d ; in that y e a r t h e N e g r o e s of t l ~ e S e v e u t h Ward paid $25,699.60 e a c h ~ n o n t , h rent. or $308,034.00 a y e a r , a n a v e r a g e of $126.19 p e r a n n u m f o r e a c h farnily. T h i s warti m a y h a r e a s o m e w h a t h i g h e r p r o p o r t i o ~o f r e n t ers t h a n most o t h e r w a r d s . A t ttle lowest e s t i ~ n a t e , I ~ o m e v e r , t h e x e g r o e s of P h i l a d e l p h i a p a y a t leaht $1.25O,@Win 1e11te a c h year.'
A ta.l)le c~fr e n t s is a s follows:
--'
Nnt Inking
P. 237.
Cuder $5 per u r m t h . .. . . . . . . . . 4 0 f;rluilirs, o r d l 9 11ercent urider' $10 per niont h . . . . 613 " or 28.7 " $10 a' $15 " . . . . YHI " or 15 O " $ 5 $20 . . . . . .2.9 " or113 " $20 " $30 " . . . . . . :3i6 " or 17 0 " $Nand over. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 " I' 4 1 "
.75 and
I#
intonccnu~~tsuh-rent repaid b y sub-ten:ints: wbtracting this and t h e n.oulrl I w , prrhnps, $1,0W,O(YI-sre ilifra, 1). 201. That paid by Slrlgle lodgers o u g h t " O t , u f cuurar, to he ~ u h t r ~ ~ c t a.s e tit l has uor Iwen ndded ill.-The Plrilndell~hia Negro,
2
lbid., p, iW1.
124
Falllilies o w n i n g o r r e n t i n g t h e i r h o m e s a n d l i v i n g a l o n e . . . . . . . . ,738, t r r 31 per cent. F a l n i l l e s o\vr-l~irlg or rr~lting t h e i r homes, w h o tillre lodgers o r subr e n t e r s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9;i7 'c 38 p e r c e n t , Fnlllilips s u b - r e n t i n g u n d e r o t h e r fanlilies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7M, 31
r x
l o t a l i n d i ~ i d u r l l s... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7751
It124 -
,Total f a m i l i e s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I n d i ~ i r l u n . lodglng 1~ v i t h faulilies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . T o t a l l n d i ~ i d u a l s .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2441
9675
Families Owning and Renting Homes, by Number of Rooms t o a Dwelling X e g v o e s oJ X e b i r r , O h i o

FAMILIES O W U P P I N G DWELLINGS O F
Oa.1lel.s . . . . . 1 ? R e n t e r s . . . 1 11 Not. r e p o r t e d Totnl . Ih
Rents Paid by Families, b y Size of Dwelling Negrot-s 0.f S ~ n z n Ohzo ,
FAMILIES OCCUPYING DWELLINRS O F
Free . . $1 00 . . 1.75.. . 2.w .. 2.25 ..

2.50
160
..
2.75 . . 3.w . .
..
Rents
;r-rt,~hl',cgto,a, I). (!. T h e block of houses e r e c t e d hy t h e V'arhington S a n i t a r y I m p r o r c m e n t Company o n 0 street, h e t w e e n N o r t h Capitol a n d F i r s t strre,ts nol.thw\-est,i,; rented to colored tenants. T h e s e h o u s e s c o n t a i n t h r e e and fourroot11 flats; each flat h a s a bathroom, wit,)] h o t a n d cold w a t e r ; a hack y a r d with e x i t to a n alley, and a cellar. T h e m o n t h l y r e n t a l ( f o r eleven m o n t h s ) arcrages $3.18 per room. These flats h a v e b e e n c o n t i n u a l l y occupied since their completion i n 1W2 b y a good class of tenant,s, a n d losses a s a. result of vacancy o r f a i l u r e t o pay r e n t h a v e been insignificant. 1 ~f w e e x a m i n e groups 14, 1.5, 16, 27,.12,43, a n d 44, all occupied b y colorecl people of the better class of laborers, e x c e p t G r o u p 43 occupied by whites, we tinil that t h e r e are 29 such tlwellings, 13 of six rooms, 6 of five r o o m s , a n d 11 of four room. These houses are unpapered, s o m e h a v e n o g a s s u p p l y , a n d some have uo s u l ~ p l y of h o t w a t e r ; 6, Group 43, a r e i n b a d repair. T h e a v e r a g e cost of tllese dwellings w a s $123570 e a c h ; t o w h i c h if w e ndd 86 p e r c e n t f o r lot. g ~ a d ing, water connection, etc., we arrive a t $2-109.(i7 a s t h e total i n v e s t m e n t . T h e average relltal of these dwelliugs w a s $lIi.HO; t.hus t h e gross r e t n r n s o n t h e investment m a y he set a t S.37 percent, p r a c t i c a l l y i d e n t i c a l w i t h tile gross returns f r o m the better houses. I t \\-oUld al)llear, if t h e s e figures he approxi~ n a t e l ycrnrect, t h a t since the average r e n t a l of Y;l6.riO f o r a four or fire-ruom house, without gas, and often \\.ithollt h o t w a t e r , f n r n i s h e s o n l y t h e usual retnru on the inreatnlent, to v e n t u r e helow t h a t tignre could bc attempted in single hric.k d\vellings only w i t h t h e sacrifice of necessary hygienic space o r sanitary equipment. 2
Rrn t
Tennnts
2000
2MI
..........
lH50
1700
............ ............ ...........
Oolored $8000 ........... S%I.W ( 4 - 1 ~ ) o m ) ............ 9;Z. 50 I corner ) .......... $20W iinsidej ...........
$20. 50
w.00
............ ........... ............ ........... ............ ...........

............
O t h e r h o u s e s w i t h Negro t e n a u t > sr e n t e d as follows:
Nulnber of Houses
0 3
4
Rooms Clost per House contained

4
Heated Lat robe and range Lntrohe aud range Store and range Latlobe and range L~itrohe nnd range Lntrobe and range
Rent
and bnth
5 nlld bath
7 8 5
1and bath 1 and bath 1tl11d bath 1 and bnth
%) I5 15 15 15
@
60
50
50
50
50
Bnlti?nc,re. There is no builcling of n e w dwellings for colored people i n Baltimore; t h e y occupy d\rcllings abandoned in t h e m a r c h to m o r e fashion-
126
nl,le o r uewer residence districts. I n a section of Ra1ti1no1.e occupied chiefly Negroes (Druid H i l l avenue, and cross streets and alleys opening upon it, tile rents were fonnd to be compar;itively high. 011 the larger streets, the 8, 10, or 12-room houses were occnpied by very respectable and colored people, who paid from $25.00 to $35.00 in rent. The "room to rent?,sign ,\.as frequently seen, and i t mas thonght there m a y he overcrowcling here. upon Dmid Hill avenue, are I n the ~ n i n o rstreets and alleys; g i ~ , i n p Illany honaes of one type, all occ:upied hy Negroes. These are two and three stories in height, all with h a s e m e n t , ~ and all two rooms deel). Occasionallv snch hoohes h a r e running water i n t h e kitchen, hut usllally there is only h~dral~ i nt the yard. An eight-room house of this type (two rooms in the b a t e n l e r ~ t rents ) for p1~.0(1; a five-room house (one room in l~asement) rents for $1200 There is, also, a n old type of four and five-roo111and cellar house to be seen in the alleys, most dark, dismal a n d lulsanitary, whic.11 rents Ily the meek at fl.0~11 $1.50 to $2.50; but even these hor~ses seemed bettcl strllcturally thall the old f r a m e houses o n our main streets which hriug froin $I?.UO to $15.(wj. ~h~ Haltinlore hooseof this type is, however,so small aud situated in such narrow alleys t h a t area congestion must e u t e r into the equation. 1 1 1 general it may be said t h a t in Ualtimore, housing of the Negroes is a ~brohleln alyaiting sollltiou ; the homes available for the least resonrceful are lljlfit in many respects, and there is no huilding of new clwellillgs for colored 11eople.1
Section 22. Food. T w o s c i e n t i f i c s t u d i e s of N e g r o food h a t e been made by t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s D e p a r t ~ n e n of t A g r i c u l t u r e , f r o m w l ~ i c hthe

f o l l o w i n g e s n m p l r s a r e quot.ed :
1 Strrnberg, p.
45.
- ' A ~ e r n g of e analyses of similar Alk~l):llu:l foods.
Food
Two Weeks' Food of a Negro Carpenter's Family of Six
127
,
. . .
Nutrients
I
Berf, ~ e n la,n d u l u t t ~ m. . . . . . Pork, lard, etc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Poultry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eggs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Buttrr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . blilk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Total anilnnl fooct.. . . . . . . . . .
Protein
I
I
Beef, vrltl, a n d m u t t o n . . . . . . . Pork l a r d rtc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ~oultry . .i . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eggs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Buttrr.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . hlllli.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Lbs.
12 50 2 1x1
Lbr.
U.!O
60 311
Grams
C'erenls, sugnrs, stel.rhes. . . . . Fruits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . T o t a l v r y e t a h l e food
'Ji5
ti19 12
.....
3!1,025 10A,805
!
I
Urawls
29,713 2%
I
1
$2 61 I*
Totnl food . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ('ereals, s u g a r s , s t a r c h e s . . . . . . Fruits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
I T i T
Lbs.
88 !10 2.20
1,bs.
...........
Totlil vegetable food . . . . . .
Total f o o d . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2X560
117.70
I i '
ID.*)
72.50
$9 !)I
Part 4.
The Family Group
Section 23. Differentiation of Classes. F e w modern groups show a greater itlternal dif'ierent,iation of social conditions t h a n t h e Negro American, a n d t h e failure to realize this is t h e cause of m u c h con-. fusion. I r l looking for difierentiation fro111 t h e p a s t i n Africa a n d slavery, few perfions realize t h a t t h i s irlvolves e x t r e m e differentiation in the present. T h e forward movelllellt of a social g r o u p is n o t t h e compact ma,rch of a n a r m y , w h e w t h e distance covered i s practically rh e stra,ggling of a c r o w d , w h e r e some o f the same for all, b u t i s r a , t l ~ e t whom hasten, s o m e linger, some t u r n h a c k ; s o m e reach far-off goals before others even s t a r t , a n d yet t h e crowd m o v e s on. T h e m e a s u r e of the a d v a n c e ~ n e n tof s u c h a throng. is a questioil a.t ouce nice a n d
128
illdefinite. Meitsured hy t h e r e a r guard there m a y be no perceptible g u a r d t h e transformat,ion ll,ay be advance. Measiired by t,he a d v a l ~ c e Yet neither of these a r e rea,sonahle ~ ~ l e : t s u r e r l l ~ bu ~tt ~ , r a t h e r t h e point which one m i g h t call t h e center of gravity of the is t h e true mea.saring point, a,nd the determination of this poillt ill the nbfience of e s a c t measurements lllay be for a lollg time a ma,ttcr of opiilioll r a t h e r than proof. S o with t h e Negro American. ~t is to prove t h e degradation of thousands o f Negroes on the hack l,lantations of Mississippi and t h e alleys of W a s h i n g t o n ; it is just as easy to prove tlie a c c o m p l i s h m e ~ l t s of the graduates of Atlanta University, t h e mpinbers of St. Thomas Church, Philadelphia. T h e point is nrllere, 1,etween these manifest. extremes, lies today t h e cn1tnrit.l center of g r a v i t y of tlie race. I t is begging and o h s c u r i l ~ t,l~is ~ quest,ion to llRrp on ignorauce and c r i m e a m o n g Negroes as tllo11g11 these were u l l n r pectetl; or to laud exceptior~al accomplishlnrnts a s t,hougl~ it typical. 'rhe rea,I crucial question is: W h a t point has the inass of tile race r e a c l ~ e dwlhicl~can be justly looked LlPon a s t'lie average accolnplishnient of t h e group Y Tlle e s m t locittion of this point is irnpossihle t,o loca.te beyond dollht. Yet certa.in facts a b o u t i t a r e certa'in: it is llloring forward rapidly; this is proven by t h e decrease of illiteracy and the increase of property holding, \)ot,hon such a scale, covering So long a pel.iod of years a s to be iucontl.overtible evidence. To illustrate this differentiation there follow four sectior~son tile Negro contltry fainilins, the social life of t h e coontry, the Negro Kortherll city h o m e , a n d a s t u d y of thirteen select homes representing ~nostly tl~e upper class of Negroes.
Section 24. The Negro Families of Dougherty County, Georgia. 'llhe p l n . ~ ~ t a t i o of n s Dougllerty iu sla.very days were not so i ~ n p t r s i ~a lg s those o f Virginia. T11e B i g H o u s e was sm;i,ller and oue-storied, and the slave cabills set closer to it. Toby t h e Iahorrl-s' cabins are in form antl tlispositio~i the s a m e a s in slavery clays. They are sprinkled in little groups all over t h e land clustering a b o u t some dilapidated Big House where the head-tenant or agent lives. Out of fifteen hu~~tlretl homes of Negroes only fifteen have five or more rooms; the mass live iu one or twu-room homes. 'l%e one-roolu cabin is painfully freqne~ltnow standing i r l t h e shadow of t h e Big House, now staring a t the (lusty road, now rising d a r k a n d sombre amid t l ~ e grceil of the cotton-fields. R.ough-hoarded, old a n d bare, it is neither plastered nor ceilrd, and light a n d vent,ilntior~comes from t h e single door and perhaps a sqllare unsteact~' hole in t h e wall. \Yithin is a fireplace, h1:tck a,ncl sir~oky, with a g e ; a bed ur two, high, clark mltl f a t ; a t a h l ~a, wooden c h ~and t chairs or stools. On t h e wall is a s t r a y showbill or a newsyaper for decoration. I t is not siml)ly in t h e tenement abonlinations of cities like Kern' York t h a t tlie worltl's flesh is crowded antl jammed together, s o m ~ t i m e s
Dougherty County, Georgia
129
twenty-two persons to e v e r y ten roolns; here in D o u g h e r t g county t h e r e a r e often over twenty-fire persons to e r e r y ten rooms of house acconnu ~ o d a t i o n . To he sure, t h e rooms a r e large-fifteeu to t,wenty-fire f e e t square. And t , l ~ e r e is t h e fl,rsh a i r ancl s u n s h i n e of all outdoors to t a k e refuge iu. S t i l l I net one family of eleven eat,ing ant1 sleeping in one room, a n d thirty families of cigllt o r more. W l ~ g sho111d t h e r e be such nrretchecI tenements i n t h e Black R e l t ? T i m b e r i s r o t t i n g in t h e forest, lantl is r u ~ ~ n i n to g wjwte a n d lahor i s literally c h e a p e r t h a n d i r t . Over 11inr-tent.11~ of t h e cabins belong to t h e lm~tllortls y e t 11earl.v all of the111 let t h e qua.rt,ers s t a n d a n d rot in rude carelessl~ess. \Vhg : ' F i r s t , heca.use long c e u s t o n born ~ in s l a v e r y da,ys, has assigned t h i s sort of house f t h e landlord should h i r e w h i t e inen he \vould not hesito Negroes. I t a t e to erect cosy three-roo111cottages s ~ c a hs cluster around the Carolina cotton-mills. S l n a l l moucler t,liat t h e s11l)stitution of wllit,e for Negro labor is often profital~le, since t h e \\-hite being b e t t e r paid ancl better ca.rrd for often responds 1). d o i n g hetter \\-ork. Again, t h e Keproes thenlselves, a s a Inass, d o 11ot d e m a n d better h o m e s ; those w11o d o , bug lantl a , ~ ~ build tl t h e i r oivn homes, roomy a n d 1lra.t. B n t the rest can scarcely d e ~ n a n t lw h a t tlley have s e l t l o n ~ tllorlgllt of. A s their fathers lived s o t h e y live, a n d t h e s t a n d a r d of t h e s l a v e still lowers f.he s t a n d a r d of t h e quasi-freeman. I n tlle t h i r d pla.ce. tlle landlords fail to w e t h a t in a,u increasingly large n u m b e r of cases i t would be a tlistinctly good i ~ i v e s t m e n t to raise the s t a n d a r d of living a m o n g t,he b1ac.k laborers; tha.t, a inan who derna.nds t l ~ r e e roon1s a n d fift,y cents a d a y m a y in t h e end be ~nrlcll cheaper t h a n a listless, discouraged t,oilt:r herding in one room a,t t,hirty cents a d a . ~ - . Lastly, a,mid snch conditio~~ of s life t h e r e is little to inspire t h e laI)o~.crto beconne a better farmer. If he is aunbitious. h e moves t o , t o n 7 0 o r t,ries o t h e r kinds of l a b o r ; a s a tellant-farmer his outlook in t h e majority of cases is Ilopeless, a n d following i t a s a nlakesllift or in g r i m necess i t y , h e takes its ret,urns ill shelter, m e a t a,llcl bread. n - i t l ~ o n q t nerg or pro t,est. T h a t we 1na.y see more clearly the workillg o u t of t , l ~ e s social e forces, 1 slook n i t l l i n t h e h o m e a n d scau lnors n e a r l y tl;e fa.mily t l ~ a lives t let 1 families there. 'l'lle f ~ t n i l i e sa r e large antl snmll : you will find nna~iy with Ilosts of babies, a n d l n a ~ ~ yollng y couples, b ~ few ~ t families wit11 half-grown boys antl girls. T l ~ e whole tendency of t l ~ e labor s y s t e m is to sepa.rate t h e fa,mily group-the house is too s m a l l for t h e m , t h e yolung people go to town or h i r e out 011 a neigllhoring farun. T h u s single, lone persons a,re left here a n d there. A w a y d o w n a.t t l ~ eedge of tlle woods will live solne grizzle-l~a,iretl Mack m a n , digging wearily in t l ~ e e a r t h for his last c r u s t ; or a, s w a r t h y fa,t a u n t i e , snl~portetli n collifort b y a n abseut daugllter, o r a n old couple l i v i ~ ~ half g by charity alld half by odd jobs. The boys a n d girls c a n n o t a,fYortl to m a r r y ca1.1y. nor until nlost of t l ~ e Inen a r e over twenty-five a n d t h e girls over tweiliy. T h e r e is little o r no a c t u a l prost,itution a,mong t,llese l ~ e o p l e a n d moat of t h e f a n ~ i lies a r e honest, tleceut peol)le, nritll a fa.irly goad s t n ~ ~ d a r of t l fanlily
130
morals, Nevertheless t h e influence of thp p a s t i s plain i n customs of e a s y marriage a n d easy separatiqn. 111 t h e old d a y s S a m "took up,, w i t h Mary by leave of his master. s o cerelllooy was necessary, and in t h e busy life of t h e g r e a t plantations of t h e Black Belt i t was usually dispense(l with. If t h e m a s t e r needed S a m o n another plantation, or w a s ]nillded to sell h i m , S a m ' s married life w i t h Mary was unceremoniously ended, a n d just a s uncerenloniously begun with Jane or ~ ~ t elsewhere. hsa s not disappeared i n This widespread custom of two c e ~ ~ t l l r i e f o r t y years. Between three and f o u r per c e n t of t h e families are tod a y separated, o t h e r s h a v e been aiid a r e remarried ~ ~ s u n l without ly t h e trouble of a divorce, while others will separate in the future. H e r e is t h e plaglle spot of t h e Negro's social relations, and when this inherited low s t a n d a r d of f a m i l y life hapyens to be in the keeping of l u s t f ~ l whites, l a s i t sometimes is, the result is bad indeed. Section 25. The Social Life of t h e Country. A sketch of t,he social l i f e of Negroes in t,he r u r a l districfs of t11e South is a,lmost like an essa,y on t h e s n a k e s in I r e l a n d : i t is t h e h c k of social life t h a t tends to depopulate t h e rura,l black belt and does d r a w off its hest blood. T l ~ e r e are, however, m a n y occasions of meeting a,nd intercourse which lnag be s e t down t h u s in t h e order of their importance. 1. Th.e S u t u d a y V i s , i t to Town. Practically t,hroughout the rural South t,he black laborers a n d f a r m e r s colne t'o town on Saturd8.y. ThiR is more t h a n a n occasion of m a r k e t i n g ; i t i s a time of holiday, and is spent in cha,ttingand loafil~g, with some liquor drinking. T o thousands this f o r m s t h e one glimpse of the larger world, and the merchants of lllally towns, indeed t h e towns themselves depend 011 t h e weekly pilg r i ~ n a g e . I t reduces t h e w o r k i u g week of t h e r u r a l South practically t o five d a y s save in very b ~ l s y times. 2. The Suvdng C h , ~ s ~ c~h S ' e w i c e . ' T h e Negro C l ~ o r c h is the only social inst,it~it,ion of the Negroes which sta,rtetl in the African forest and survived s h v r r y ; u ~ ~ d te hr e lea,dersl~ip of priest or medicine-man, afterward the Christian pa.stor, t h e Church prrservetl in itself t,he r e m n a x t s of African t,ribal life and beca.me after ema.ncipatior~ the center of Negro social life. S o t h a t t0da.y t h e Negro populntion of t h e U l ~ i t e t l S t a t e s is virtua,lly divided into c l ~ u r c h congregations which a r e t h e r e d units of race life."' T h e typical Negro country church s t a n d s a t sonle c r o s s - r o d s and holds services once or twice 8 ~ n o n t h . Tllese meetings a r e g r e a t reunions a,nd a r e the occasions of feasting, country gossip a n d prea.chi11g. T h e people gather from 9 8. m. t,o 1 p. In.. and remain usually till 1a.te in t h e afternoon. Christenings and hapt,izi~~ ta.ke g place a t this time. T h e week between C h r i s t m a s and New r e a r ' s , 3. " T h e ( ' l r v i a t n l r r s . " inrlud~ng hot11 clays, is t h e g r e a t time of social r e j o i c i ~ ~ among g Couut r y N e g ~ o e s . Historically i t was tlle time w11e11t h e master gave h i s - PA-
1Atlnntn
I1nl\r~blty Puhllcntlons, No.3.
Social Life of the Country
131
slaves time a n d license. Toc1a.y i t is t h e time w h e n t h e serf receives his a n n u a l accounting w i t h his landlord and collects his small balance d u e in cash. T h i s h e ol'teu spends i n caronsing a n d drinking, to pay for t h e hart1 pear's work. RIany honest, h a r d - w o r k i n g sober men get tlrunli r a l i ~ i o u s l y a n d regularly every Christmas. T h e r e a r e a l w a y s m a n y parties, c h u r c h e u t e r t a i ~ ~ n ~ e n an ts d excursions, together with figllts and quarrels. Later years h a v e of course brought i m p r o v e l n e ~ ~ tA . resident of New Orleans writes: c ' P o s s i l ~ l y t h e r e is less idleness a t C h r i s t ~ n a sill Louisiana a t present t h a n formerly. M y impression is t h a t t h e influeuce of our better m i r ~ i s t e r s a n d graduates or s t u d e n t s frnm our h i g t ~ e r institutious of learniug is gradually n ~ o d i f y i u gt h e c l ~ a r a c t e r of t h e festivities a n d conduct of t h e people a t the C h r i s t m a s season."
4. T h e "Prolic." T h e occasional p a r t y given a t t h e cabin i s often called "the frolic"; i t varies all t h e may from a pleasant little gatheriug with games ancl feasting a s portrltyed by T h i ~ i l ~ ato r , a scene of wild drinking ancl ciebaucl~ery a s is often t h e case in l u m b e r camps.
5. T h e Tlreddirzy and the Ptenet.al. T h e only distinctly family fest i r i t y is t h e wedding. T h i s is celebrated with v a r y i n g e i n p l ~ a s i s being , a ceremony only a g r u e r a t i o n old in t h e country districts. I n t h e newer S o u t l ~ w e s ti t seems to be Inore of a general occasion of rejoicing. A correspondent says: The two things that interrupt our community life more than anything else in the way of home duties are the weddiugs and fuuerals, both of which seem to give the people n o r e actual happiness aud joy than a u y t h i ~ ~ they g enter iuto during the whole year, but I suppose these hardly come nuder the head of social life. We have i n our community a good many of the quiltings which appeal to the hearts of the women and during the winter is our regnlar form of festivities for them. This is an all-day affair with a luncheon served at midday, auct sometimes we hear of as many as three or four in a single wcek.
ti. T h e h'euival. C o i ~ u e c t e dwith t h e c h u r c h services comes t h e re~ a n d usually takes vival. T h i s i s a secruiting uf c l ~ u r c lmembership, place ill t h e fall a f t e r t h e crops a r e "laid by." It cousists of protracted nightly meetings a n d brings together large n u m b e r s .
7. School-closing. Where t h e coufitry schools a r e good a n d regular, a s in Texas, there is considerable social life conuected with t h e closing of schools; often there a r e exanliuations on t h i s d a y with n free spread and a n "exhibition" a t n i g h t which a t t r a c t large nulnbers.
8. T h e C'imccs, which visits t h e county-seat once or twice a year, is largely attended. S o m u c h so t h a t such exhibitions a r e taxed a s high a s $500 for each county.
9. Secret Socictieu. I n parts of Virginia a n d Georgia a n d some other S t a t e s the benevolent sorieties, with their halls, a r e f a s t becoming t h e chief centers of t h e r u r a l Negroes' social life. T h e a u n u a l ilrstaltations of officers a r e the g r e a t social events of t h e year.
132
Section 26. The Negro Family in New York. ( M i s s M a r y \-v. ovington in C h a r i t i e s , O c t o b e r 7, 1905. R e p r i n t e d b y permission.)
T h e g r e a t majority of the Negroes of New P o r k live in poverty, ~ i ~ per cent of t h e men,according to the last census, are in domestic and personal ser\.ices, and in large stores and factories they do the work of porter or eral utility man, not the better paid tasks. Only a f e w practice a trade. The women have not been able in a n y numbers to gaiu entrance to the pactory or the shop. T h e realllt is a grOIlp of people receiving a low wage, and the character uf their h o n ~ c s must be largely determined Ily their economic position. Like all t h e New y o r k poor t h e Negro lives in a tenement. ~l~~ lower E a s t side, famed for its orercrowding, does uot k n o w him. His quarters are West, but there he finds couditions t h a t a r e often ynite as had as those alnollg t h e Italians o r the Jews. I n the most thickly segregated Negro section, that between West Fifty-ninth and West Sixth-fourth streets and 'rent,h and West End avennes, t h e tenements a r e of the old double-decker and dumb. bell types, with no thorough yentilation a n d with tweuty and tnrentg-t\ro falnilics to a home. The air-shaft's in these tenements a r e so small as to be only "culture tu11er"escept on the top story, wllere the rooms gain somet1ling of air aucl light,. I n t h e lower part of town, about the thirties, we still find a numher of rear t e n e ~ n e n t soccupied by the colored rare. The sunlight enters these houses, hut they are very old, impossible to keep clean, and dangerous became of their distance from the open street. Again still further south,about Cornelia street, the race lives in dilapidated forrner dwelling-houses. These \Vest Side districts h a r e little of the pictliresqueness of the lower East Side, and have heen more o r less neglecteil by those interested in t h c moral aud civil welfare of the co111111~~1ity. Rents are Irigh for cr-cryone in New York, b u t the Kegroes pay more and get less fol. their nlnney than a n y other tenants. Every week in the warn1 weather hundreds of thern come from tlie Snutll. They must tind shelter, and the places that they may rent are few and those not tenements of the better sort. T h e m a n y attract,ive ancl healthful houses t h a t h a r e been built since the creation of the Tenement House Department are not open to them. They are confined to certain localities, and usnally to only a few houses in each block. Forced to c r o ~ r d into sninll and uucoliifortahle roums, thcir opportouities for making a ho111e :Ire rnoch restricted. Like the dweller on tlie East Side, the Negro knows enough to get out of his ho11ae and into the fresh air when he can. I n t h e summer the street's, while llot so filled with people as in the neighborhood ahout Rirington and Delancey streets, are \yell crowtletl. The roofs, too, offer breathing-places. Day as well as night lnang lnen ancl women a r e to be seen about, especially in the vicinity of the Sixties. The presence of Inen i n the daytime gi\-es an appearauce of idleness among the popnlation t h a t is not as great as it seems, as about fifty per cent. of the colored men of this city are engaged at Jobs t h a t give them leislue when othcr people are at their tasks. ~
In New York
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Stntly closely the teuants in a n y of these streets and you will fiod every grade of social life. Their difficulty in procuring a place to live compels t h e colored people to dwell good a,ud had together. Ten families of p u r e and upright lives m a y bc forced to r e n t rooms in a house where there are other ten families who are rough and noisy, often immoral. T h i s is true of all overcrowded districts, h n t it is especially t r u e in t h e Negro q u a r t e r s ; for the lanrllord of a colored tenement rarely makes a n y a t t e m p t to discriminate among his applicauts,hut t,akes in anyone w h o will pay his rent. Complaints against objectionable tenants are unheeded, and t h e mother a,nd f a t h e r iu t,he reapectahle home have the d i f i r u l t prohlem of rearing children in a few rooms from which therv is no escape, save to the stairway and street w h e r e undesirable conipanioiis a r s numerous. Lines need t'o be d r a w n very sharply by such pawnt,s, and factious arise among t,he children t h a t are t,he despair of t h e cluh worker, who gathers in her boys a n d girls believing t h a t propinquity makes a harmonious group. I t is impossible to give a n idea of the home of t,he Negro in New I-ork without toucllillg upon his rela.tio~is with the rest of l h e city's population. H F comes to make his home among apeople w h o are foreigu to him. R e is not, to a n ? appreciahle extcnt, with the d e w e n d a n t s of the m e n w h o years ago fought for his freedoui: he speaks nou urn fully of wishing t h a t h e m i g h t t,ake his chance? with the Americau, 11nt he is living among m a n y races, the most of whom have 11ut lately found their way L o this country a n d a r e without tradition of frieudliuess. H e h a s to meet the Irish, the German, the Hehrew, the ltali;an, the Slav. These maiutain v a r y i n g attitudes of animosity nucl friendliness. T h e Irish is the most boisterously aggressive, thoGgh when once t h e Irishulan really kuows the S e g r o he can be a very good comrade. New York seems to denlaud t h a t all t h e laborers who come to her must endure a period of ahuse aud ridicule; there must be street fighta and biting nickuainen and the refusal to work with t,he detested race. 411 this t h e Negro must endure, as other races h a v e endured before him, hut his case is an exaggerated one. There a r c those who wish to deny him opportunity beca,use they believe in his inherent a n d eternal inferiority. T h i s minority, for I helieve it to he a minority, cnu prevent his o l ~ t a i u i n g a position. F o r where the majority of me11 and women will consent to have a Negro work with them, a strong caste sentiment on the p a r t of a few will prevail against. this frieudlg feeliug which, after all, is little more than indifference. \Vllile the iriegro is a n ahle and respected member in some of the labor unions, and while his children occasionally have 1,laymates among the huys a n d girls of other r a w s in t h e schools, he does n o t usually see the white workingniau a t his best. Too often white and colored meet only in t h e saloon of a low type or in the rough jostle of the slreet. This is a misfortune for a peuple who are in the process of creating a social life. To see t h e best among those of t h e salne e c o n o n ~ i cposition as themselves would he a help and profit to them. T h e contact t h a t the colored people h a r e with t h e monied peoplc of tlle white rac.e is varied. I n t h e domestic service Negro m e n a n d women oft,en h a r e the opportunity to live in good and honorable homes, h u t it is not always s o ; aud from peoplc whom they are taught to regard a s belonging to the upper class they learn low standards of married life. Those w h o are not in dolnestic service see f r o m their k n e m e n t streets m a c h t h a t is base in t h e dominant rare. There must be a world of irony in the h e a r t of the seeing Negro w h o reads in the papers the lurid descriptions of his o w n crime, while he livesiu the Tenderloin dist,rict a n d looks o u t upou its life. H e sees the
134
daily danger attending the attractive wolnen of his own and other races , and he sees temptation offered where h e should see high ideals. ~h~ N~~~~ is imitative, and all this ~ n n s and t does have an effect upon his own home. Yet, despite these handicaps, there is much of good and honorable living in the homes of the race. Choosing a t random fifty families living in no st demoralizing neighborhood of Kew yurk, I found t h a t seventy cent of the mothers are k n o w n to be moral by those charitable workers 7r.ho for luany years had heen i n close touch with tlieln. These people lire a life apart from the roughness about them, hut close to tlieir church and their children. Such loose u n t h i n k i n g statelueuta are made regarding the N~~~~ his morality t h a t n o better service coul(l he done the race than to us all of his homes, just as they come. For, where one would he revolting, the next would c a r r y with i t so much of worthy relationship l)etween man and wife and p a r e n t s and children t h a t the first might be forgotten. ~~d yet, I d o u b t if this would be s o ; for modesty like rliarity does not vaunt itself,and the loud colored woinan.who parades the streets counts for more ill the niinds of most of us t h a n a dozeil of the quiet women of he: race who 1'am by without o u r noticing them. B u t for those who wish to see the \,,hole and not merely the p a r t that calls for censure, the majority of Negro homes, like the majority of homes of a l l working people, are places where good and honest men and women a r e striring,often against great odds, to bring u p their ~:hildren to lead inoral and useful lives. There is in New Y o r k , in proportion to the population, a fairly large class of professional colored men and women ; and also a class of business inen of some means. The h o n ~ e s of these d o not ditTer essentially from the homes of all good Americans i n t h e city. There is nothing by which to especially characterize Ihem. Their hospitality is very pleasant and tlieir family life is very llarmonions and sweet. T h e young women are, perhaps, bronght np i n more sheltered fashion t h a n those of the white race. V e r y much emphasis is laid ~pon education,both for the boy aud for the girl. T h e ~nnsic-loving character of the race is shown i n these homes, a s indeed i t is in all colored households; l;ut here we have much ability, for there are among the race in New York musicians of no mean gifts. These hornes are too little known among the people of the cit3-. Occasionally some colored high-school girl or college ~t,udeut will show her classmate her fnniilj- circle, and thus a few in our population learn something of the wholesome life of a class of Negroes of oue Soatheru woman told nie t h a t s h e knew less thau she rlirl of the ~~squirnaux Perhaps . there has never before been a race concerning which so many opinions have been written and y e t of whose best Life we are so ignorant. If "highest is t h e measure of the man," w e know the highest of the New York Negro w h e n we k n o w the homes of the best of his race. And while from the South there comes a n idle,criminal class, the industrious and intelligeut come as well, a n d their hornes are increasing and are a n honor to the cominonwealth.
Section 27. A Study of Thirteen Families. T o i l l u s t r a t e t h i s e m e r gence of b e t t e r c l a s s e s , a c a r e f u l d e s c r i p t i o l ~of t h i r t e e n N e g r o families follows. N u n l b e r o n e r e p r e s e n t s o n e of t h e l o w e s t t y p e of a c o u n t r y family a n d n u m b e r s e v e n a c o l n i n o n t y p e of c i t y f a m i l y . T h e o t h e r eleven a r e of t h e h i g h e r t y p e s of N e g r o f a m i l i e s . T h e i i ~ c o m e sa r e given b y t h e f a n l i l i e s t h e m s e l v e s a n d a r e p r o b a b l y e x a g g e r a t e d i n fiome cases.
A Study of Thirteen Families
135
rooms, with an income of $700 KO. 1. A count7.y f u m i l y li'uing i n t u ~ o p e r y e a r . T h e whole f a m i l y is very ignorant a n d consists of twelve members. None h a v e had t h e a d v a n t a g e of school. A few of t h e younger children c a n write their names. N o books or pa,pers c a n be seen in t h e house. The parents a.re religious f a n a t i c s ; they believp in p r a y i n g n i g h t a n d mornin%, T h e f a t h e r can be hea.rd p r a y i n g on a still n i g h t for two miles. T h e elder boys a r e rough cha,racters. T h e y get d r u n k a n d fight, especia.lly a t c h u r c h . T h e older girls axe n o t w h o l e s o n ~ e cha.ra c t e r s ; t h e two eldest have h a d illegitimate children, one by a w h i t e m a n a.nd t h e o t h e r by a N e g r o ; both children were given to rela#tives. The entire fa.mily is given to p e t t y thefts, a,nd is especially high-ternpered. T h e y d o uot g e t along with t h e neighbors, h a t tattle a u d tell lies a n d carry news to white people a,nd Negroes. The fa.tnily c,onsists of f a t h e r , a g r 62 yea.rs; mot'her, a p e 61 y e a r s ; s i x sons, ages respectively 28,26.22, PO. 14 a n d 11 y e a r s ; and four da,ughters, ages respectively 24, 18, 16 a.nil 8 years. T h e entire family work in t h e field. T h e m o t h e r a n d one of t h e da~~ghter leave s each d a y in t i m e to cook dinner. T h e y work from sunrise or earlier 1111tiltwelve, a n d from one u n t i l d a r k . T h e heavy ~ye t h e men a.nd boys, t h e l i g h t work by t h e girls. farming work is d o ~ b The girls work from F e b r u a r y to A u g u s t a n d f r o m September t o December. T h e m e n a n d boys work t h e y e a r round. W h e n there is n o work to be done on t h e f a r m , t h e y h a v e t,o report to t h e landlord f o ~ son~etliing to do. W h e n i t r a i n s t,he bell t a p s a n d a l l m u s t r e p o r t a t t h e barns to see w h a t "Cap" w a n t s done. F o r t h i s k i n d of service they g e t n o pay. T h e house i.5 n e a r t h e p a s t u r e a n d is p a r t l y surrounded with woods. T h e la.ndlortl's house is 300ya'rds away. T h e y a r d is very small, with weeds growing in t h e s u m m e r t i m e int,o t,he window on t h e Imck side. T h e w a t e r is 1)roupht f r o m a s p r i n g in t h e pa.sture. T h e house i s d i r t y w i t h i n . T h e bed-clot,l~es a r e dingy m d t h e doors are black with dirt. T h e y have n o b a t h i n g facilit,ies. All b a t h e in a w a s h p a n , a b o u t three-quarts size, once a. week. A peculiar o d o r is dress in g a u d y colors. T h e i r prevalent in s p r i u g a n d s u m m e r . T l ~ e y clothes a r e f a i r l y good, but not well ma.de a11d d o n o t fit properly. I n fact,, they d o n o t k ~ i o w how to w e a r wha,t t h e y h a v e a n d a r e v e r y hard on clothes. Only a low ola,ss of people visit t h e m . A n y decent person visitillg t l ~ e r ei s branded a s b d . F o u r of t l ~ e family a r e m e m b e r s of t,he Ba.ptist church. The two older da.upllters were m e ~ n b e r sbut, were expelled on t ~ . r r o n nof t conduct. T h e only property is one buggy, an 0rga.n a n d twenty-five chickens. Both sides a r e of African descent. T11e.v a r e v e r y black, a n d i t i s said t h a t their forefa.thers were a l l simila,rly high-tempered a n d in]Illoral. Both sides of t h e fa,inily were in s l a ~ e r y a , nd after the war were l ~ e l d in peona.ge twenty-two years. T h e y a r e m u c h different from other colored people a r o u n d in t h e s t r u c t u r e of head a n d m o u t b , a n d i n general appearance. T h e y h a v e three m e a . 1 ~ b : r e a k f a s t before sunrise, of biscuits, pork, s y r u p a n d coffee; ciillner a t noon, of c o r n b r e ~ , ds.y r u p
136
alld p o r k ; supper aft,er d a r k , of cornbread or biscuits, and syrup. ~ h , t,able i s too small to a c c o m r ~ ~ o d a t the e entire family-seven by tllree feet. S o m e take tlieir m e a l s in their hands-children especiallv-an(l s i t i n a c h a i r a n d sonnetilnes in the door. S o m e of t,i111e the food is served f r o m the table a n d a t other times from t h e cooking vesseln. ~ 1 , dishes a r e collllnon c h i u a , with solne till plates a n d cups. There i s I,o tableclobh. T h e r e arc: two benc11t.s t h e lenpt,h of t h e table on each side of t h e table.
living i l y i'tz t h r e e m o m , w i t h ctu i n c ~ r,f$6_ij , ~ ~ ~ No. 2. A c o z r ~ r t r y . f a t ~ ~ pel. yerrfQ. T h i s fainily consisbs of eleven persons: a m a n all(\ hiS ,!-ife a n d nine childrpn; s i s girls a,nd three boys. The m a n a n d llis \\.ife bot.11 43 years old. Tlie oldest, c l ~ i l d is a girl of 19. the nest, a girl of 17. t h e n a. girl of Ifi, a girl of 15, a girl of 1.3, il boy of 11, a boy of 9. boy of 6, a n d the ba,bg, a girl of 3 years old. T h e people work a f a r m ; they h a v e never done a n y t h i n g else. T h e f a t h e r i s n man small in stature: a b o u t mediuin height,, slender, with a d a r k bl.ow11 slri~): crinkly black alwaJ-s h a i r a n d t,hirk black mustache. H e is a gek1.1, cheerful 111~11, f u l l of fun. H e is r e r y intelligenC m d business-like, a m b i t i o r ~a.nd ~ e a g e r for knowledge. He is the main st'ay of the w t ~ o l r family. l'he m o t h e r is a b o u t ~ l l e d i u mheight m d corpulent. S h e is l i g h t ~ r))rolvn t h a n her I~usbaircl,w i t h soft a1113 ouce a l ~ u n t l a n tbla.c:k hair. Slle is kiud a n d unotherly, but raLher slow antl sleepy; in f m t , , ~inuchgive11 to deep trance-like q ~ e l l s of sleeping. S h e oversees t h e Ilouse~vork. The is below the inetliunl height, with dark-brown ski11and oldest t l a u g l ~ t e r soft black hair. S h e is plump a n d vivacious, a n d rat,her restless and fidgety. S h e does not morli mnclr in the fielrl, b u t sews antl I ~ e l p s a.l)out t h e house. T h e ~ ~ egirl s t is a b o u t medium h e i g h t , s n ~ a l lbut solid, a Lit,tle lighter l,ro\vn than the first, wit11 crinkly h h c k hair. S h e is frank aud strong rl~lrlfoil of life, quick to n m k e f r i e ~ ~ dkind-hearted, s, ~ of the others: winning. S h e does h:mler n.o~.kin tile field t l ~ a ially > 1 l ~ ri ~ c s t girl is I>elow the m e t l i ~ ~hriyht,, ~n ; I I ) I I I I ~ the salne shade of I~ro\\-11, with r e r y c-riukly Iiair; S I I P is s o m r \ v l ~ ; i ~n tc l i ~ ~ e to d h e L.ai~.isl~" but s h e in livc:l$ autl good-na.turctl. S h e alao \\'orl;s ill the field. S e s t t h e girl of 1.5. S h e id of i n e d i u n ~ comes her i ~ ~ s e p a r a . b l companion. e lieight a n d plump. S h e ha.s the ~ o o c l looks of the falllily. She is the s a m e sh:itle of brown, wit.h soft black hair. S h e has a r e l y good o l ~ i n ion of herself a , ~ i d is s o m e w h a t higli-te111pe1,etl. S h e works in the field s t a y s ill the house. The girl of 13 is a,t t h e busiest season, but u s ~ i a l l y tllc seallegoat of t h e falrlily. S h e is fa,r 1)elow tile 111(4iuni I ~ e i g h tvery , th na n ally of the others, with very crinlily black pluinp. a, ligllter I ~ r o ~ v hair. S h e is very cliliet a n d seldorn g r u u ~ h l e s . 1Vhe11she ape;il:s she of the thiljzs u s ~ ~ a l lsays y sonlet,hing worth wllile. S h e does ml~st, mhicl) the otllers refuse to do. S h e is house~naitl;uurse and emll(1girl. T h e oldest boy i s itl~orltt h e size of the usu:~ltlevrn-yeal'-oltl 1 ) o ~ . H e is d a r k brow-11,with crinkly blark h a i r ; he is tlecitletlly jolly and I ~ o y i s l ~ Tlie . l i e s t bog is his boon cornp:~uion; be is nearll- as l:lrP A,II(I has the sa,nie g e ~ l e r a lappearance antl t l i s p s i t i o n ; t l ~ e r:ire oftell
r
A S t u d y of Thirteen Families
137
mistaken for twins. TI](! oldest boy is his fa,ther's chief dependence in t,he field. H e cmi 1)lough a s well a s a n y man. Tlie o t h e r o u r does ligl~ter field work. T l ~ e last boy is a f a t child of s i x , d a r k bi.owu, wit11 well-sl~apcdhead. H e is soft I ~ l a c k hair, a n d R n n i ~ n s u a l l ylarge a ~ i t l very sly and q u i e t , b u t w h e n d m w n o u t shows p r e a t intelligeiice. H e rolnps a n d plays a l l da,y wit11 his bal)y sister. S h e is s ~ l l a l l , d a r k brown, witli c r i ~ i k l y reddish tiair. S l ~ e is very droll a n d delnure. a,nd is \\,ellslwiled 1)s tlie whole f a , ~ n i l y . T h e whole fa.~iiily dress very siuiply. Tlie girls a l l llave calico working dresses, a n d t,he boys 11a.ve calico h o ~ n e - m a , t lj8,ckets e autl breeches. Eacll of the boys tias a s u i t ant1 c a p for S u n d a y wear. T h e girls h a v e neat, i ~ ~ e x p e ~ ~ dresses s i v e for S u n d a y n7ea,r. T h e older girls keep t,llemselves Ireat a,rld cleau, b u t the younger members a r e never clean except 0 1 1 Sundays. Tile m o t l ~ e ris not very tidy. V e r y few rolorecl people live in the [)art of tlle count,ry wllere t,hese people live, a n d t,he few w11o live 11ear are r ~ I a t t 4to t l i e ~ n . Tliey often go \-isiting tlieir people ailcl receive visits froin t h e m ill t , ~ u ~ i T . h e y go to c h u r c l ~ every rnd Snnclay, ullless the mea.tlizr is very bad. Tlie fa,tlier, t h e ~ n o t , h ea tllo t,liree oldest girls belong to secret orders. T h e r e a r e nolie of the fa~nily a h s e ~ i texcept a bog w l ~ o died. H e ealilc: in betmeell t h e boy of ni~a ~ne d the boy of six. T h e y own 165 a c r e s of l a n d , tlie house i n which they live, two uinlee, two cows and four Ilogs. T h e family liave lived i l l t h i s pla,ce for s i x tcse~i years. Before t1ia.t t l ~ e g lived a l ~ o u tfive . ~niles a w a y . T h e mother calilr from a fanlily of twelve c l ~ i l d r e ~sere11 ), boys mid five girls. All the boys a.re tlead e x c r l ~ t one, w h o lives o u t W e s t . F o u r of the girls a r e lirirlg, a l l iu t l ~ e s a m e p:~,rt of tlie count'ry. T h e otlier is tlrad. T h e fa,tlier canle f r o ~ n a f a m i l y of e i g h t children, five boys arid t h r e e girls. ry Two One of the boys is tlead; a.11 t,he o t l ~ e r s live in the c o u ~ ~ t a,ronntl. of the girls l i r e n e a r by a ~ i d t h e otlier is in Milletlgeville in t h e insane asylurn. 'l'liere is no wliool Ilear for t h e children to a t t e ~ i t l . T h i s fa111i1.v 11a.st h r e e ~ n e a l s e v e r y da,y. T l ~ e food is well cooked, a n d tlley have very nice d i s h e s hut no silver. r ) u r i n g t h e working season t'liey llave breakfn.st a t 6 o'clock. d i n n e r a t 12 lock amlidsupper a t 6 : 30. Durilig the seasou of rest a n d on S u n d a y s they h a v e breakfast a t 7 o'clock, d i ~ i n e rbetween o n e a n d two o'clock ant1 supper a t 7: 30. Tliey ra,ise nearly a l l t h e i r food. I n s u m m e r t h e y liave for breakfast w h e a t breatl a n d b u t t e r , m i l k , s y r u p a n d s a l t pork, varied occttsionally by beef, c.lliclier~a ~ l t l eggs. For d i n n e r they h a r e vegetables, c,orlibread, ~ n i l l ra , ~ sounetimes ~ d soup a1ic1s o m e kind of dessert. F o r supper they ha,ve wlleat bread. b u t t e r , sgrllp, m i l k , a n d s a l t pork. 111 winter the breakfasts a r e a,bout t h e same, b11t they have for d i n n e r such things a s peas a ~ sweet ~ d potatoes, varied with beef a n d chickell. Dried f r u i t also plags an i ~ r ~ l ) o r t , a part. ~ i t T h e y h a v e tablecloths. b u t no na,plrilis. Tlrey a l w a y s s i t a.t t l ~ eta,ble. autl tlie younger o l i e lmve to w a i t r111ti1 the oldel. ones ea,t. l i~n ~ i 'Jt ~ ~ i /n ;I . O O I I I . S 1 1 1 i t h ~ I iI 1 1 c o ) i z e of $.r;.jO No. 3. A c n l c ~ i t r y~ ( L I I L ~ pel. year. Tlie f a ~ n i l yconsists of s i x 1)ersons: t h e p a r e n t s , two hogs
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a n d two girls. T h e f a t h e r is yellow, of m o d e r a t e build-five feet inches-weighs 166 pounds, a.nd is -17 Years of a'ge. H e has been engaged iu f a r m i n g since h e w a s 19 y e a r s of w e . H e h a s a comrnon-~pllool educat,ior~, cllews tobacco b n t uses n o intoxicants, a u d h a s good llealth. T h e m o t h e r is l i g h t brown in complexion a n d is rather largP i n b u i l d . s h e is 45 years of a g e a n d was born a.nd reared in t h e country. stl; h a s p a r t of a. high-school e t l ~ l c a t i o n ,a n d t'aught school previous to lnarria,ge. T h e eltlest boy i s 20 y e a r s o l d ; he is five feet f o u r inclles in height, of good build, weighs 140 ponnds, a n d h a s l i v ~ din tile c o u n t r y a l l his life; h e ha,s a high-sphool educa.tion, and is still i n T h e youngest boy i s ' 19 y e a r s o f a g e , height five feet all,-j six inches. H e is now ill school a n d i s a f a i r l y good s t u d e n t ; has Iligll-sc.llool education. The eldest girl is 17 y e w s of age, weighs 140 p o u n d s ; height five feet a ~ f~ o ud r a n d a h a l f inches, a n d has a,llllost colnpleted a high-school course. T h e youngest girl is I 1 years 01~1, four f e e t in h e i g h t , a,nd h a s a l m o s t completed a gra'inrnnr-school course; s h e h a s some a b i l i t y in i t ~ s t ' r u l n e n t a lmusic. T h e fa.tlier supervises the f a , r n ~ prepares , t h e soil, p h l t s t h e crop ill t h e spring a n d during t h e s u m m e r superint,ends t h e w o r k i n g of t h e f a r m , t,he crop-gatheriIlg in the a u t u m n a n d m a r k e t i n g the crop, ~'11d fertilizing t h e soil (Illring \~rinter. a l s o lie ca.res for t h e l i v e s t o c k , r n a r k r t s $2.00 wort,h of ,vood a week, a ~ t ~ h ed d a i r y and t h e pollltrg product~s( $ 2 . 0 a week). Tile lnotllrr does a h o ~ ha,lf ~ t of t h e f a m i l y cooking ( t , h ~ is, t t h e mother and girls d o t h e cooking h y t u r n e ) , s e w s a n d ma,kes t h e working garment8 of t h e wllole f a m i l y , a n d a l l t h e g a r m e n t s of Ilerself a n d girls; she C~,L.HS f o r tile poultry. cult,iva.tes t,he g a r d e n a n t l suprrvises t , l ~ garden, e (lairy a11d poultry products to he ma.rketetl; a.lso s h e preservc.~and earls f r u i t s . T h e boys prepare t h e fuel for f a ' n ~ i l y rooking and tlle \\rood f o r m a r k e t , a n d assist in t h e f a r m w o r k ; also in crop-gathering (luring Septernbe~.. T h e girls d o half of t,he f a m i l y cooking (by turns), a,ll of t h e f a , ~ ~ l i\va,shing. ly ant1 rlea,n t l ~ eh o u s e ; n.ntl t h e y assist, some tvork n cluril~gsllnlltlrr ~ 1 1 a ~u 1t u m n , also i l l ga.thering. The in tile f ; ~ r ~ rising hour is 5: 30 a. m.. l,rrakfa,st a,t 6: ;30. IVorli period from 7 to I f o'clock ; dinller a t 12 IT,. : work hours 4 to 6 o'clorli p. I I ~ supper ., at 7 p. 111. A t 7:30 tllr f:i.mily, except t,he girls wllo re1nai13 for dining-rooin d u t i e s , retire to t h e sitting-room f o r rending, s t n d y , conversatioli, writing, - e t c . ; t h e girls join thc. o t h e r menlbers of tlle fanlily in the sittingroom a t 8 o'clock. N a t i o n a l h o l i d a y s a,nd f a m i l y birt,hclags a,re tllr d a y s of special festivity. also t h e first fifteen d a y s of August, when ct.cjpn~nkingis ovrr-pener:t.lly called tile silmlner h y - b y . There is usually c o m p a n y on Y~11da.y. T h e Su11tla.y routine for the family is: H w a k f t ~ s t 8:YO . a. In. ; hat11 I ~ o u r 9 , to 9::iO a.. in. ; S u ~ ~ t l a g - s c h o o 9:45 l , to I 1 a. m . ; church services. 11 a. m. to 1 p. ni. ( c h u r c h three-qua,rters of a mile dista.nt,); dinner. 2 p. m . ; c o n l p a n g , 3 to 5 p. 111. ; slipper, 5 p. In. ; song practice, 8 1). 111.; ret,ire a t 9 : 30. T h e dress of t,he family is a s nlodvri~te a s possible; t l ~ e n ~ o t l i e rheinp a. sea,instrers retluc,es the cofit dollars ($60) is the a ~ n o u l which ~t t h r boys find to n low figure?. F i f t ~ thelnsrlves together pro\-itlr-.tl wit11 in order to 1)e r l o t l ~ e d ,and the
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a.inount for the two girls is t h i ~ t y clolla,rs (30) ; forty dollars clotlies t , l ~ e parelrts. T h e f i ~ m i l yowns $2200 \vorth of rea,l estate, t h e e s t a t e l ~ a o s n l y been of p r e s e l ~ t n u m b e r of a,cres for s i x y e a r s ; t , l ~ e original f a r m a s owned !)y t h e fat,lier t)efore ma.rriage wa.s t h i r t y a.cres; s i x y e a r s a g o a,t t h e dea,th of t h e f a t l ~ e r ' s fatlier t ~ I em ~ ~ g lhis t t father's fa.rm of s i x t y a,cres, which a d j o i ~ ~ his s onrll. T h e land value wa,s not a s g r e a t then a s now, so lie profit,td quite a deal. A t t h e sa.me t i m e , a t t , l ~ d e e a t h of t h e m o t h er's m o t l ~ e r her , fath(.r's esta.te of e i g h t y a c r e s w a s sold a,nd her realizations from tlle l a n d mas also used in t h e aforesaid transaction. T h e l i r e stock ra111e (o!le I ~ o r s ea n d four head of c a t t l e ) is $300; vehicles, $125; liouse furnislliugs a n d o t h e r incidrnta.ls, $350. S o t,he whole value of the fa,riil p l a n t is a p p r o x i ~ n a , t e l y $3000. T h e estat,es of t l ~ egrandp a r e n t s were ac:quirrtl b y each a h o u t 1880, ancl w a s k e p t iuta.ct by each until their cIr:~th, w111'11t h e y were t l i s p o s ~ d of a t anction a n d proceeds went to their children. At the 1 n e a . l ~the fullowing food is n s ~ d a t different t i m e s : B r e a k h a m , s t e a k , p o r k , eggs. b u t t e r , I ~ a s h ,chicken, fast, 6 3 0 a. m., l ~ a c o n , rabbit,, liver, sausage, squirrel, etc., fish, ~ n n t t o n ,bread-pattcakes, n!ufflns, eggbreads, rice, h o m i u y , grits, b u c k \ v l ~ e a t cakes ancl oatmea,l. F r n i t ~ ,preserves, apples, peaches, strawberries, potatoes, pea,rs, ban a n a , syrup, etc. D r i n k : P o s t i ~ n l a.nd milk. D i n n e r , 12:W In., Cabba.ge, collards, sa,lad, peas, turnips, ouions, celery, lettuce, r a d i s h , I)eets, soaps, spina.c*li,t l ~ y n i e ,t,onlatnes, cucnmhers, beans, s q u a s h ~ s . !1;1.1n, fish, t)epf1 pork, rabbit, opossnni, potatoes, c h i c k e n , l ~ a r t r i d g e , cluck. geese, t u r k e y , a.pples, peaches, berries, lemon pies a n d drinks, a n d jrllic~s,puddings. Supper, 7:30 p. In., Posturn, e g g c n ~ t a r d s jams , milk, chocolate, tea., etc. Apples, pea.ches, puinpkins, gra.pes, st,ra,mrl ) ~ i . r i e sblackberries, , etc. Ha.m, eggs, chickell, rice, macaroni. cheese. Gelatine, c r e a m , p ~ ~ d d i l c:~,kes. ~ g . ca.lldies. Meals a r e cooked a n d served I)$ t,he mother and d a n g ! ~ t e r s o /c c z ~ ~ ~9 ~ roon~.s, ji~~g tc~iilcccn income of $2500 No. 4. d counfry f c i ~ n i l , ~ per. ~ C C L T . T l ~ e eleven uieinbers of t h i s fanlily a r e especiall$ intelligent. Tl~ey consist of m o t h e r i ~ n df a t h e r , ages 50 a n d 60 yea,rs respectively, twcr tlaught,ers, ages 15 a n d 19 y e a r s , a.nd sevpn buys, ages 29, 27, 25, 2.3, 21. 11 a n d 8, resl~ectively. T h e dereit.secl m e m b e r s of t h e family a r e two sons arid two d a u g h t e r s ; a.ll died soon after 1,irtli. T h e wl,ole fa,rnily is peaceful a n d a.greeahle. T h e fatlier is h e a d , ancl what, h e s a y s is lam. T l ~ e n t i r e f a m i l y is subjected to a s t r i c t disciplik~e. T h e tjoys a r e a.llawed to visit,, b u t t , l ~ e y i n u s t returlt b y sunclown; i f lat,e, a n e x r u s e m u s t b r given b f o r e h a n d . T h e girls do n o t leave home unless accolllpanied by some n m l e r n e ~ n l ) e of r t h e f a ~ n i l y . E v e r y one on S u n cia. i n n s t go to S u n d a y - s c l ~ o o l , b u t there is no f a m i l y prayer. No sneari~~ isgallowed. All t h e ~ r i e m b e r s of t h e f a ~ n i l y work I!II t l ~ e fa,rtn exce1)ting tile mother. Tile boys a n d f a t h e r d o all t h e c u t t i n g , plowi l ~ g ,s o n ~ e t i l n e s hoeing, repa.ir work, a.nd ditcl~inp., etc. T l ~ e girls d o tile light work, such a s l ~ o e i u g picking , cotton, t1ousewo1.k in general, a.nd laundering. T h e inot,her s t a y s a t I ~ o l n e ,cooks, a n d looks a f t m
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the chilclren. F r o m J u l y 28th to Aug'lsst 24th they do is c a l l ~ t l "layiug-by time." Fronl August 21th to Decem\rer lst Tllis tlley g a t h e r cotton, corll, potatoes, et,c. F r o m D e w m h e r 1st to J~~~~~~ 15th t,Iley d o practic.ally uot,hillg e s c e p t keep fires a,11(1 Ilunt. l (soll,posed of T h i s fanlily i s s i t u a t e d in H ~ e a , c o f ucolnlnunity a n d colored people. A b o u t two hund1,ed ya.rtls from the house one s i d e a r e woods. T h e house is built On it h i g h spot \vith a splell(tid drainage. T h e ent,irc: ;ya.rd in filled w i t h flowers a11d shade trees. Tile b a r n s a r e a c o ~ ~ v e n i ed nits t a n c e f r o m t h e m a i n building, a,i1d there is a n orchard. T h e b e s t people of t h e c o m m ~ ~ n i visit t y these people, ant, some w h i t e people f r o m t o w n a'nd t h e l ~ e i g h h o r h o o ~ lE~~~~~~~~~ . a b o u t this Ilouse is n e a t a,lld clean. l'heir clotlles are plain sil,ll~le RlasolliC order. ~ 1 1 a n d well cared for. T h e f a t h e r is a, m e m b e r of t l ~ e are inen~hers of C. 31. E. C h u r c h and of a l l i t s societies. TIle 5 milk rows, 7 lleatls owned consists of 175 a c r e s of lillld, 5 111~11es, cattle, 25 hogs a n d pigs, 3 wagons, 2 h g g i e s , 1 s>,rup mill. 1 disc harr o w , 1 m o w e r alld ra.ke, a n d 0 t h l tools; t h e r e a r e a,lso 150 c~lickells, 8 t u r k e y s m ~ 12 d gi1inea.s. 0 1 1 the fa,t,herls m o t h e r ' s s i d e t h e desceut is tlirect f r o m .\frica, ,,.i(ho ~ la t n y m i x i n g of b l o o d ; on t h e f i ~ t h e r ' sf i ~ t h e r ' sside there bar; hepll a n intermingling of w h i t e blood solnewherr which makes tile fattier a sha.tle bet\veen I ~ l a c k nud l i g h t brown. o r a, ginger-cake rolor. 0 1 1 thr nlottlrr's side t h e gra,ntlfilther wa,s a w h i t e m a n a.ntl her fat]ler\\-as V g l l ~ ~ Th . e n ~ o t l ~ e r '1110ther s had a stra.in of 1ndia.11 blood ill her, n l a k i n g h e r da,rk rc.tl. T h i s llla,kef the lllotller yellow. Both sides we1.e in sla.very e x c e p t t h e motlrer's granilfather. Breakfa.st is usual]^ 8,l)out o r heforc s ~ t n r i s ew , i t h coffee, milk, I)uttet,, s y r u p , meat, grit.* or bincuits a11d eggs. 1)inrice, chicken or beef on Suntla,y nlorniugs :\~rtl pies, syrup. n e r colnes a t 12 o'clock, w i t h boilrtl vegetables. cornl~rentl, milk, butter, I ~ i s c u i t s ,] ) o t , ~ t o ~etC., s , 8.1.c) served. s u p p e r is a little and cold a,fter s u ~ ~ d o w w n ,i t h corul)rratl syrup, mee.t,. milk. b ~ l t t e r , vrgeta,hles fro111t l i ~ l n e r . Of c ~ ) r i r s e these n l r a l s vary 011 different (I(.c:asions, especially \\hen colllpally is p r e s e ~ a ~~ t rtO l I I S n ~ ~ t l n ~ yAll s . the Ine~nl>~ of r s ~ I I Pf a . l ~ ~ i l a\s-s e m b l e a.rouud olle la,rge t a l ~ l r ant1 the father ancl laother serve t l ~ e food, which is put on t h e table I~eforethe n ~ e a l . T h e kllives, f 0 1 . l ; ~ all(\ spoons a r e m a d e ~ ) p f h t e d silver. The dishes a r c c h i n a , plaiu, w i t h gla,sses for milk a t ~ d wa,ter. n 8 ~ O U I I ~ wi!lt S , a n i w o n j e of $.<OII/I No. 5. a4 (.5)1612f?y f c / m ~ i l ! j l i v i ~ > ig p e y y e a r . Tile fanlily \vllich orcupirs t h i s lronse consists of four b r o t h e r s a'nd llis cliild. a hog two brot,hrrs, a \\.ife of t h e ulilesh of t l ~ e yra,r;; of aFe. 'rhe olclest b r o t h e r is twenty-five yews or age, and tends . man of t h e h r n l . H P i:: a, retlc~ish-huedmulatto. rJ'I~en e s t i r o t l ~ e r a life o f t h e f a m i l y . He i s s h o r t a > n d redtlisll;aitll twpnty-tllree, i s s a l l d y llail., rJ1lle next, ljrotk~er,a mall of t w e n t y , is like his oldest y,lnl~ge::t I,rotller, of s e v e ~ ~ t r eis n , d a r k e r tlla.l1 t h p hrot\ler, alltl has stl.;lig(lt I,lnc-k Ila.ir. T h e ~ n o t l l e rn.nd f a t h e r are botl1 (lead ; t,iley clie(l a r , m p tillle a,go--the m o t h e r in A i ~ ~ g n s t a h. e. old falllily hol'le* t h e fatllpl. :lfter tht.y hw(l moved to tile prrsellt qu:+rters to better
if
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f s ~ n i l y couditions. T h e whole fa111i1~I J O W consists of two s i s t n x , rl~al.l.ietl, lirillg in Augusta, o n e hrottlel', m a r r i e d , ill YOrk city, t w o b r o t l ~ e r sin Atlanta,, a,nd t , l ~ e fo~l ~ ~r r(~tller as t home. The b r o t l ~ e rof twenty-t,l~ree is t h e c e n t e r of hnrne life. I t i s h e w h o sells t h e cotton, sees :titer all e x ~ ~ e ~ i s ae ns d, pa,ys t h e otliers 1vha.t they Ilave n ~ a d e . H e dues not e a t a.t honle, h e r u n s t h e only down-tow11 r e s t a n ~ x u in t the busiuess clil;trict of a 11ear-IJJT tow]]. H e antl his y o u l ~ g e s tb r o t h e r rise d i s t a n t , tct a b o u t fire o'clock on rnornir~gsautl go to tow11, two l ~ r i l e s ope11 1111a,nd s t a r t business. T l ~ e r elie looks a.ft,er t l ~ eb u y i n g of prov i s i o ~ ~and s . sees t,ha,t t h e orders a r e filled. T h e y o u n g e s t brother r n n s errautls; the other two st.a,ylrRt llolne a n d s ( ~ p e ~ . v i s th ee f a r m , a l ~ t l a t tend to all outdoor d o m e s t i c work-sweeping, c l e a n i ~ i g milking, . :mil the like. Tlie wife cooks a t h o ~ n rchnrns, , u ~ a , k ebeds, s washes, patches a u d s c r ~ l h s . C O I I I I ) B ,fro11-1. I I ~ t.o\vn is e ~ r t e r t a , i ~ ~ w eid th the greatest I~ospitality,i ~ ~ c l u t l b~~gg,ry i ~ ~ g rides. T l ~ ewhole f a m i l y goes t,o c l ~ u r c t i 011 t l ~ c s e c o ~ ~a.ticl t l f o ~ ~ r t f31111tla~ys ll of c v r l y 111ont11. l ' l ~ e y belong to \vhich 1net.t eyery secollcl antl fon1~11 'Tuesdaj :1,11d two secret ul.tle~'s, e v e r y secol~clautl fourth 'I'll urstla y 11ig11ts. T h e f a r m is e i g h t y a c r e s in e x t e n t : L I I ~ is owliecl hy t h e family. \\'lien tlressctl-ap tile wo1na.n n e a r s gay-colored dresses, o r t i i ~ ~ a s rl y~ o e s antl fa,ncy c o u l ~ t r y h a t s , wit11 her l ~ a i r tie11 with blue alltl yellow ribbon. A l l t h e b r o t h e r s wea.r on S n n d a y s red shoes, striped trousers, black coats, gamy s o c k s , a n d coloretl s h i r t s with c o l h r s a ~ t t ~ c l ~ e c T lh . e Inail1 foods awe s y r u p , potatoes, m i l k autl butter. As m u c h cornbread is eaten a s wlrent brea,d, a ~ l dvegethey a r e c a u g h t in tlle n e w t , a l ~ l e isl l season. Fish comes in w l l e l ~ e v e r by creek or a r e l ~ r ~ ~ u fl.olil g h t town. Cured neat is eaten two mea,ls a d a y , tog'etl~er wit11 chicken antl eggs. T h e r e a r e t h r e e m e a l s per (lay : 1)reakfast a.t five ill tlle lnorning, tlillner a t twelve a n d supper a t I biscuit, fried m e a t . coffee, five. At, brenkfast t l ~ e y11a.ve C O ~ I cakes, a.ud p e r l l a l ) ~ eggs. T h e food i s s r r v r t l in plain semi-porcelain clisl~es, a,~ltl sit ~lpollthe table which t,lle f a m i l y s u r r o u ~ ~ d s K . n i v e s , f o r k s ant1 s p o o ~ are ~ s U S P ~ . T h e tlinuer consists of potatoes, b a k e d , sonie s o r t ol vegetab!;.s hoilnd with cured mra,t, a,t~tl cor~ibrea'dserved upon appropriate dishes. Supper c o ~ ~ s i sof t s coffee. perhaps chicken or eggs; biscuit, autl cornl)rr:~tl, togvtt~er with t l ~ e staples, t l ~ a i ts , s y r u p , b u t t e r a ~ r d n ~ i l k which , alway!: h a v e :I place on t h e t,able a t all 111eals. T h e table is 11lacle of white piue, a n d is k e p t well-svrubbetl, for n o clot.11 is useil. Tl1e e l l i ~ i r s a r e pla.in c m e - b o t t o l i ~ antl , a r e also k e p t w h i t e w i t h sozip I 11a.rtllg believe t h a t unpkins a,re w e d a.t a l l meals, but, x ~ ~ lvater. d t h e y produce, w11el1 c o m p n y comes, sollle lra,pkins a h o u t s i x i n c h e s sq~iare ironed a.s stiff a s boards. Ko. 6. A c o m f ~ y . f a m i l y living in 9 w w t i s w i t h air Inconie of$1,60(, p e r y e w . There a r e fourteen n ~ e ~ ~ l l iin e rts h e f a m i l y : fatller 58, m o t l l e ~ , 54 mother's nuth her 'iC1, five sons, rospectirely, 35: 33, 31, 24 a11d 18 F e a r s of a g e ; a n d s i x d a u g h t e r s , r e s p e c t i t ~ e l y 29, , 28, 26, 22, 20 a n d 15 y e a r s of a.ge. Eight of the older c l ~ i l t l r e udo not live a t home. A s a family the;\- :in: l o v i ~ ~ ancl g cougerlial. Tlie f a t h e r is a limn w h o t a k e s care o f his family. T h e m o t h e r will d o a l ~ y t , l ~ i n for g her children. All t l ~ t
I42
(Shildren d o well i n school a n d a r e quick to learii. The tvhole f a l n i l y dress well, a n d especially t h e girls keel) u p w i t h t h e style. The girls !lave been off to school a n d have p u t aside t h e oltl-fa.shioned w a , ~ of d r e s s i n g of t h e c o m l n i ~ n i t y in which t h e y live. Tliere is not mucl1 t,ime f o r dressing d u r i n g t h e w e e k , however, omin:: to Itoasehold tluties, b u t o n S u n d a y they a,ll appea,r ill white dresses a u d s t r a w sailor hats, o r ~)erha,ps in a, black s k i r t . a w h i t e wa.ist a n d a h a t trimmed in flowel.g. Sollle of t h e older girls have black amd w h i t e silk parasols. T h e f a t h e r Ivears a. black s u i t , or sometimes a pair o f striped trousers a l ~ d a ])lack coat. The, nlother a 1 w a . y ~ dresses ill rt p h i n white s u i t or a white \\.aist a n d a black skirt. E v e r y t h i n g is kept, clean a n d tidy. Company call v e r r often, s o m e t i m e s to s t a y two or three w e e k s , anti t h e guests colne f r o m neighboring cities. T h e fanlily goes to c~hllrcliregularly. TI,,, properby owned consists of 325 acres of l a n d , very fertile. dnct \vortll fifty d o l l a r s a n acre. T h e f a m i l y h a s been l i v i n g in t h e present locali t y f o r t h e p a s t t h i r t y - o n e years. N e i t h e r of t h e pa.renta have hat1 any & u c ~ t i o r t e x c e p t wha,t they h a v e picked u p themselves. All t,he cliild r e n h a v e bee11 educated. T w o d a u g h t e r s a n d one son a r e niarried. B r e a k f a s t is a t seven a n d consists of h o t biscuits, cornbread, fried tileat, b u t t e r a n d coffee. Dinner is a t twelve a n d consist..: of cabbage, greens, corn ( f r i e d ) , pepper, fried nleat, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, cornbread a n d squashes. F o r S u n d a y tlinnerfi t h e r r is often inararoni. , e h e e ~ ec , h i c k e n , a n d p u d d i n g irl addition. S u p p e r IS a t s u n d o w t ~and consists of cornbread, biscuits, fried m e a t a n d syrup. Dishes ant1 pltttes a r e a l l of porcelain, with steel f o r k s a n d k n i v e s wit.h wooden handles. T h e table is s e t in t h e week w i t h a tablecloth of red and white flowers, one on each side on S u n d a y witti a linen cloth. T w o benches s t i ~ n d , of t h e table, a n d a c h a i r is a t either end. No. 7. A city fulnily living i n 3 rooms, w i f h at? inro,,le of $ N O p e r g e a r . T h e r e a r e t h r e e members in t h i s f a m i l y , a mother and two daughters. T h e m o t h e r is fifty-one year> old a ~ i t ln l ~ o l l yillitelate; &he i s a w a s l l e r w o m m ~ a n d >lot a t a11 n e a t or clra,n i l l Iier dress; she looks like a n Tntlian a n d is very cluick-tempered. T h e elder daughter i \ t w e n t y - t w o y e a r s of a g e , very slow ill t h o u g h t a ~ i daction. S h e finished t h e g r a m m a r schoolh a n d got a s f a r a s t h e secolld year in lligl~ school. I n s u m m e r s l ~ e washes a n d i r o ~ ~in s , winter she cooks for a w h i t e family. H e r dress is sometimes clean a ~ i dlieat, and s o n ~ e t i u ~ e s youngrr daughter is tl~irteen years of age and just t h e o l ~ p o s i t e . T l ~ e goes to gra,rnrliar school. S h e ha,s a v e r y even ten?prra.ment and is Tliey ow11 no property except t h e Iiouse a ~ l d lot where u s ~ ~ a l clean. ly t h e y live. Both d a u g h t e r s belong to the c h u r c h , but the nlotller does not. T h e y belong to no societies, a n d h a v e no social life to speak of. T h e y usually g o together, except t h a t t h e younger girl h a s some young girl friends. Tlie f a t h e r is dead. T h e m o t l ~ e r ' s father wars a white mother were f a r m e r autl her m o t h e r n s h v e . T h e father's f a t h e r a r ~ d claves. H e h a d t w o brothers. one of whonl is d e a d . T h e y know of tlo o t h e r relatives.
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Breakfast, consisting of coffee, w h e a t h r e a d , m e a t , bacon, s o m e t i ~ n e s berf. is eaten a t half p a s t s i x , a n d d i n n e r , with c o r n b ~ . e u dvegetables, , now a n d then meats, is e a t e n ahout, eigllt at n i g h t , ; e x c e p t on S u n d a y , when breakfa.st is eaten a t nine o'clock a n d d i n n e r a t half p a s t two o r three o'clock. T h e m e a l s a.re e a t e n from ~ n i s c e l l a n e o u s dishes. T h e t,able upon wlrich the f a ~ n i l y e a t s h a s n o t a b l e c l o t t ~upon it. T h e food is take11 from t h e cooking utensils antl p u t on a plate-some of everyt,hing they ha.ve is put on a plat,e-aud r a c h m e m b e r of t h e fa,mily ta.kes her 1)late a ~ l t l sit,s to t h e table in the k i t c h e n a n d eats. T h e r e a r e only two inea,ls cooked. Between rneals t h e y e a t w h a t is left from t h e previous ~ n e a l . No. 8. A c i t y f u ~ n i l g lilting i t 1 3 rooms, w i t h un income of $860pev , 34; wife, a.getl y e a r . This family is seven ill n u ~ n b e r :I ~ u s h a n t l a.getl 29, t,heir two children, both girls, a p e s ten a ~ ~ s t ilx ; t h e h u s h a n d ' s mother. a.tmut, s e v e n t y ; hast)nntl's brother, aged eighteen, a n d a, 11ep11ewof t,he I I L I S I ) R I I ~ , aged fourteen. T l ~ e wife bofore b e i n g rnarrierl w a s orphaned a ~ rea.retl ~ d 1,y her sister. S h e h a s a g r a ~ n i ~ l a r - s c l l o o l etluca,tio~~ sh : e is red brow11 in color. T h e h n s h a n d , a hrowu mall, got of work. He fount1 a little edaCa.t,iona n d t,he11c a m e to ~ O W I Iin s e a r c l ~ employ~ne~ wit11 ~ t t h e rai1roa.d a s h o s t l e r ; h e was a,t. t h i s emp!oyment until a f t e r marriage w h e n , under t h e influence of l ~ i s wife, he b e c a m e a. hri~'kmaso11. T h e hushund's m o t h e r lived ill t h e c o u n t r y until h e r husba.nd died and several children, a f t e r which s l ~ e moved to t h e c i t y with h e r youngest son, a boy of eigllteen, antl h e r o r p h a n e d gra,ndson, a boy of fourteen. T h e d u t i e s of t . l ~ e wife a n d t h e m o t h e r a r e to k e e p the 11o1ne in order. T h e children g o to school. T h e boy of fourteen c n t s wood, lxings u p real a n d k i n d l i r ~ g , goes to school, a n d s p e ~ ~ t two ls hours in t h e service of a s ~ n a l l d a i r y , d r l i v e r i n g da,iry p r o d u c t s t,o t,he neighbors, for wllicll h e receives fifty ce11t6 a week. T h e hoy of eight eel^ drives a fnrniture wagon for a local f u r n i t u r e store, receiving s i x dollars per week for his services. T h e h u s h n d w o r k s a t his t r a d e , arera.ging ahont five hundred dollars a y e a r . There h a v e been born into this fanlily since m a r r i a g e s i x cllildren, four of whorn died i n i u f s n c y , t,wo of w h o n ~ \yere twins. Tile dress of t h i s f a m i l y is coininon city d r e s s wit,!] ~ i o t l l i n g e x t r a . T h e n l r n ' s s u i t s a.verage fifteen d o l l a r s p ~ sru i t ; the wolnen's clothes, a.veraging f i r e d o l l a , ~ per ~ suit, being , l t h o u g l ~t,o differelit o n e s ; nradr a t home. All belong to t h e c l ~ u r c h a a.11 a t t e n d very regularly. 'l'he husband i* H, Mason a n d t h e wife a. True Rcforn~er. The h o ~ n e is now being paid for. Tile family i s very gc.nia1 in disposition, a.nd receives some company. T h e sta,ple foods a,re nle;~.t, grit,s, rice, s y r ~ p b , u t t e r a n d jelly. A l l of t h i s is bought from stores except. t h e jelly, which is ina.de in t h e sutns o r t of' Inur. A t breakfast tilere is rice, g r i t s , coffee, hiscuit a n d s o n ~ e steak. sausage or liver, hought from t h e near-by m a r k e t . Red d n m a s k trthleclotl~covers t h e table, wit11 c h i n a dishes. T h e food is served 0;) a1)propriaLe dishes. Common u a p k i n s a r e used. T h e whole f a m i l y r a t a t tlle salne time. A t d i ~ u ~ e th re y h a v e baked b e a n s , o r roast, together wit,l~ n l r i t r potatoes, rice, a n d w l ~ e a t bread, coffee, a n d some
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s o r t of cheal) d e s s e r t , like pie. A t slipper there is somet,hing frietl from, t l ~ e ~ n a . r k e tw , h e a t bread, g r i t s , clleese, cuffee and tea. ~~~~k~~~~ is a t s i x in t h e tnorlling, d i n n e r a t t\xrelve, arid sul)l)er a,t six in t h e evel~ing. of ,sSf4 S o . 9. A c i t y fccuziby l i v i n g iit 5 r0o172S, w i t h un irtr+oi,ip f a m i l y is composed of five lnemtwrs: mother, fa;hel. allcl year. T l ~ e three sons. T h e fa,ther, f i f t y - f o n r p a r s of age, a portly Inan, l i g h t l-ellow, with st,ra.ight black h a i r . T l ~ e motlrer, fifty yea1.s o f age. i s a (lea.oy-built w o m a n , with a sta.tely ant1 erect. for111,~ l a r k - h r coin~\~~~ plexion ant1 coarse hair. 'rhe sons, of 28, 27 a,~itl29 years, a r e anti ~nnch a l i k e ; they h a v e stra'iyht blitck h a i r a n d I ~ ~ t l i a con>plesion n features. T h e m o t h e r a n d f a t h e r belung to the B a p t i s t c h u r c l l ; tll, R l I I I S a r e not c h u r c h ~ n r m b e r s . T h r 111other a . ~ ~ f;tthrr d a,re ,,.ell t h o u g h t of by t h e neighbors. T h e sons' Iia.bits on t h e whole are ,,(,t of t l ~ ebest. T h e two oldest d o not live a t 11o1ne. The nlotller all(\ fat,her wear l~Ia,in clothes, the sons d r e s s ~ n o d e r a t e l yantl keep eleall. T h e honse is k e p t very clean and neat. l'he windows, floors and fllrn i t u r e a r e k e p t nea,t; t h e bedclot'hes a r e a l w a y s clean ant1 c o n ~ f o r t a b l ~ . T h e rooms a r e well-ventilat'ed daily, a n d t h e yard is k e p t i n good dition. T h e fa.tther was a country schoolteacher u p to tmet1ty-11ine g e a r s ago, b u t from t h a t time up to t h e present he 11a.sheen employecl a s a cotton c h s s e r . T h e oldest so11 h a s a l w a y s followed the professiorl of e m b a l m i n g ; t h e youngest bog is a special delivery messenger a t the post,-office. T h e o t h e r boy is a cornnlon l a l ~ o r e r . T h e noth her ant1 f a t h e r belong to s e c r e t societies. T h e boys live wit,l~their parents when t h e y a r e i n the cit,y. T h e y own t h e house a n d lot they live 011. T h e principa.1 foods a.re bread, meat, rice. g r i t s , coffee, tea and vepet a l ~ l r s . T h e y cook twice a clay, moruing antl evening, bet.ween s i x and eeven o'clock i n t h e m o r n i n g a n d five a n d s i x in t,he evening, and serve a liyht cold l u n c l ~a t noon. T h e t l i s l ~ e s a r e of r a r i o n s sets, few i l l Illlnlbrr. (,!omlnon silver-plated spoons, k l ~ i r e s a,nd forks of different 1;ilrtls a,re used. T h e n l o t , l ~ e r does the c o o k i ~ ~ ga.t ; mmltit~~ all e the foot1 is p11t on t h e table a t t,lie b e g i n ~ ~ i n g After . tlie ~ r ~ e s ahl r clrars t h e table a , ~ ~ waslles tl t h e dishes. Iiving i n 4 rooms, ioitlr rr1t incon)r of $560 1 1 ~ 1 ' No. 10. ~l city , j ' a ~ n i l y year. T h i s f a m i l y is composed of uine m e u ~ h e r s : father, 38 years; n ~ o t h e r ,36 y e a r s ; four girls, 16, 13, 11 a n d 8, respect,ively, aud three boys, 6. 4 ant1 2 yra,rs, respectively. T h e f ~ t h e r ' sfather was a farmer. ! T h e lllall hirr~selfis a brickma.son. I n r e c e n t y e a r s he 118sbeen studying theology, a n d is uow past,or of t,hree c l ~ u r ~ h e sl'he . ~notb~r's mot,her h a s been, since einancipa,tion, a s e r v a n t i l l t h e house of white fantilies for t h e most part, a.nd her d a ~ ~ g h t , did e r t h e saule t h i w ~ u l t i l , sl~e was married. T h e f a m i l y is thoroughly Christi:~u,antl very h i g h l ~ f falnily is tliougt~t of it, t h e c o m m u n i t ~ w h e r e it is. T h e dress of t,l~is r r r y plain ant1 clean. T h i s family has I I O fa.mily g n t l ~ e r i n g se x c V t to g the . birth(1a.y parties. T h e usual company a r e those who b e l o ~ ~ tl1e satlie society a n d the school friends of the children. salne T h e older l n e l n b e r s a.re n ~ e i n b e r sof t,he A. ?*I.E. C.'hurch. The
145
oltlrst c l l i l d r e ~go ~ to Suuda,y-scliool r r p u l a r l y . a n d t h e f a t h e r is a re~u1a.r church goer. T h e Ii1a.n is arl Otltl Fellow a . ~ ~ a t l K n i g h t of P y t l ~ i a s also. All t l ~ ecl~ilrlrc~u except t l ~ r yonngest helong to a.11 ilisura.uce conlpally t h a t collect^ t h e t l u ~ se v e r y weck. T l ~ i sfa,inily O \ V I I S three-eiglrths of a n acre of 1a.11d; one-quarter is i l l o n e place a n d T h e y have :I. cow, a hog, c l i i c k e ~ i s o ~ l e - c i g l ~ tof l i a11 acre ill a l ~ o t l ~ e r . and ducks. T h e I l o ~ s c ! a n d cverytliing a r o u n d i t is k e p t fairly c l r a , ~ ~ . T h e family has livetl Ilear w l ~ e l . r tlrey 11ow live a l l of t h e i r lives. W h e n this co~lple was first miwried they rented, then t h e y moved t,o a, h o ~ i l e tha.t belongrtl to t h e motlirr of t h r Inan. W h e n t h e f a m i l y I ~ e c a m e too 1at.g~ to live in tha,t t h r e e - r o o ~ nIlouse, t h e m a n h o ~ ~ g land h t a n d built the house in \vliich t h e familx now lives. F o r h r r a k f a s t t h e faniily usually h a s h a m o r b a c o i ~ ,g r i t s , t,ea or cotfee, somet,iines eggs, s w e e t potatoes in t h e j r season, cornbread a.11d biscuits. F o r di1111~r they ~ ~ s u a l ll~ yn v e two k i ~ i d s of vt~getal~les-pcas, cmllrtrtl greens, ca.l,l)age o r b e a n - a n d wlrite potatoes or rice, co~nl?rea,tl o r I)iscnits; either l ~ r a c l lIjrar, , a p l ~ l eor 1)lac:lilwrr- pie, or I ~ r r a dputld i ~ I'or ~ g dessert; swevt potators lor t i i i ~ n r r iu t l i ~ i r soason. F o r slipl'er thc3y 11;tve beef s t e w , or s o u p s o ~ n e t i n i r sant1 , at other t i ~ n e s they h a r e Ila~n o r b a c o ~ alld ~ , rice, coffee o r tea, a u d milk w h e i ~t h e cow i s giving ~ n i l k . S y r u p m a y he llad a t almost a n y m e a l , if a,ny O I I P desires it. This is t h e r~g111a,r coiirse of e a t i ~ ~ 11ut g , ma.ny times t h e y h a v e f i s l ~o r pork for b r r a k f a s t o r supper. T h i s f a m i l y us~~:r.Ily lins brealrfa,st, hetwc-eu 5::W a . d 6::W o'clock. T h e mall h a s to be a t his worlr a,t s e v e n o'clock and the c l i i l d r e ~ le ~a ~ r e for school at s e v e n - t h i r t y o'clock. I n t h r wiuter tlir c l ~ i l t l ~ , r ta nk e t h e i r l1111ch to school with t l ~ e ~ Imt, n, when they g e t l l o n ~ e~ I t I he a f t e r ~ ~ o o they n usually r a t wha,t tins bee11 left Prom the r n o r ~ ~ i n cg o o l i i ~ ~:LOCI g , t h e y h a r e s u p p e r a h o u t s i x o'cloc-k w l i e ~t,he ~ marl ~ o ~ i i e t iso ~ n efro111 his work. T h e d i s h e s a r e a l l very ~ j l x i n ,h ~ ~ th te , r e a r e soinr s i l r e r tnirc,s, forks a n d spoous t h a t a.re used o ~ isl)rcia,l o c c a s i u ~ ~o sr , \vllr!~ t l ~ e r eis special c o ~ n p a n y . A s a rule, e i - e r y t h i n p is put 011 t h e table :it one time antl everybody s i t s down together. I V l ~ e nt l ~ en ~ o t l i r ris a t t h e ta,ble s h e n s ~ i a l l yd o r s the s r r v i ~ i gaud , when she is not t h r r r the oldest girl d ~ ~ it. e s T h e nla,ll serves h gets u p a n d begins rea.diilg hilnself, a110 RS so011 a s he is t l ~ r o ~ i g11e tlle nen7spa,pc+r o r a 1)ooB. T l ~ rtable is of r r c t a ~ i g u l a r s h a p e , n ~ a t l e of piue l n n ~ b e rr , a t h e r sin:111 for ninr petq)l(l. A 1i1le11 t a b l r c l o t l ~i s usrtl all the ti~ne. y i n 4 7'001118, 11~if71 nu income of $1200 ])el' No. 11. d city . f ( t ~ ~ t i llil'i?lg yeccr. This is a faniily of t h r e e : a Inmi 57 y e a r s old, h i s wife, 41, a n d all aclaptetl girl 10 years old. T h e 1nn.n is a, j;mitor, superintentling rrvcra,l h t s . T h e owner furnishes h i m a. h o w e a n d a l l of h i s fuel, hesides l ~ i s wapc's in money. H e wa,s con~clin1x11 for t l ~ e s a m e inan before Ile beCanlr janitor. T h e wom:i,n is a. fiue d r e s s m a k e r , a.nd s h e sews a n d keeps house. T h e man is :i little : ~ h o r em e t l i i ~ i n Iieight, slender, wit11 (lark brown ski11 and criulily hl:+ck ha.ir, mixed with g1.a.y; h e has a t~lack ~n~lstacl~ Hre. is jovial, ~ ~ s u a lcheerful, ly generous, kiud-hearted, l ~ e i g l ~antl t 1)rucle1lt a n d business-like, T h e won1:ln is o f ~ n e t l i u i i ~
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hea,vy build. S h e m i g h t easily pass f o r a w h i t e woman, s h e bas rerS f a i r skin a n d s t r a i g h t c h r s t n u t hair. S h e is i n d ~ l s t , r i ~ ~ ~ also business like. T h e little girl is about t h e size of the a v e n g e cllild of tell. S h e is a very l i g h t brown, with closely-wa.ved re(l(lish hair. She t h e woman's niece. S h e goes to school, a.nd when a t home runs errRnd5 ' etc. T h e y a,ll w e a r good clothes, well-made, of good material. ley a r e very n e a t a,nd clea,n. T h e y a r e very fond of stayillg a t tlollle, b u t h a v e f r i e n d s w h o m t h e y visit, and nrllo visit them. T h e y go to d u t i f u l l y , a n d each one belongs to some society, insurallce or secret ortler. T h e r e w a s one c h i l d , wllicll died \vhile a n infant. sillre tile owner of t h e flat,s f u r n i s h e s then1 a house, t h e y rent out tlleir o,\-n house, which is a wooden stl'ucture of four rooms, with a lot 25 feet bv w o m a n ca.me frolrl a falllily of seven girls. ,]>he fattl& 200 feet. a n d four of t h e girls a r e d e a d ; t h e m o t h e r lives solnetilnes \vith this d a u g h t e r a n d s o m e t i m e s ~ o r k Out s a n d sta,ys where s h e \vorks. of tile three o t h e r girls 0ne-tlle mothf?r of t h e little girl-lives in t h e x o r t h , S h e llas one of h e r children with h e r , a boy, a n d the third cllil(l has beell adopted by one of h e r friends. T h e o t h e r sister i s un~narriecl. and teaclles. T h e nlan c a m e f r o m a f a m i l y of five children. H i s 1nc,ther his sister a n d f a t h e r a r e dead. H i s three brothers live near him, a l ~ d lives in a n o t h e r city. H e w a s reared from a s m a l l boy by the Innn for whonl Ile llom w o r k s a.11d h a s a,lways worked. Tllis f a m i l y h a s three m e a l s a clay. T h e foot1 is well-cooked alld lvell-served. T h e y h a v e uice dishes, silver, a n d good table linen. Tiler h a v e b r e a k f a s t a t seven o'clock, diuner between two a'nd three o'clock alld a cold s u p p e r a.bout s e v r n - t h i r t y o'clock. I n s u m m e r they llavr f o r b r e a k f a s t a cereal, fruit, flour bread, a n d some kind of meat ( I ~ e r f , fish, chicken, muttoll, fresh pork). F o r d i n n e r they l l a r e c o r l ~ h r e a d , or sorlletinles flour hread a n d baked m e a t s , rice a n d t o ~ n a toes, potatoes, icetl tea, autl some k i n d of dessert. For supper they ha\-e frllit, icetl tea, bread alld b u t t e r , s l ~ r lsometimes meat. I n rvillter they h;l.ro f o r brea.kfast a cerral, hread. meat.. itntl coffee or cocoa. TIIPtlin~ l e is r t h e salne a s t h a t of sulnnlrr, with tlre exception of the slllnnler vegrta\,les nntl t h e iced t r a . T b e j often h a v e soup. For snjlper tiley l l a v e breatl a,lltl b k ~ t t e rcold , n ~ e a t s , a ~ solnetillles ~cl stewed fruit. a n d cocoa. i?l 9 ?oo,i)ls,w i t h c o t inco??leof $1,'G11 per No. 12. d tit)] J"c011.ily l i l , i ~ r g yecir. T h e f a t h e r ' s f a t h e r ' s hirthylace a n d a g e is unkuown. H e was a slave of solue wealth w h ~ n freed. H e belonged to a very good t a r k m a s t e r a,nd hilt1 co~lsitlrrnble alnoulrt of c a t t l e ant1 other propert?. Solne of h i s money Ile i ~ ~ t r u s t eLO d his mast,er for sn.fety, but he died without ever g e t t i ~ l g it hack ;tgairl. T h e fat,her's mother's birtlllilacr i s n n k n ~ w n . S h e llad a b o u t thrre-fourths India,n bloorl, a.od w a s married t h r e r times. S h e w a s t h e m o t h e r of six children: five I ~ o y sa u d olle girl. One boy (lied while a very s m a l l clliltl. The mother died i l ) 1891. T h e fatller w a s born Decelnhel. 24, 1866, a n d is the oldest of the brratlwinner for the famil? s i n w s i x cl~ilclren. H e h m beell t h e ~ n a i n t h e d e a t h of his f a t h e r , wllell he mas ii boy, alltl h a s llad a very little
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c h a n c e for s c l ~ o o l i ~ ~H g .e l ~ a t lt,o raise the four r e m a i n i n g children a f t e r liis 1not11er.s tlea.tl~. H e 111arriec1 a t t\venty y e a r s of age, a n d h a s far111ec1four tee^^ y ~ a r s . H e owns a house ant1 a four-acre lot a.t Texas. H e moved from -to Texas, in 1900, a l ~ d was porter iu a h a r d \ m r f > s t m e for t , l ~ r e e years, with wages a t $9.00 per week. Si~~c then e he ha,s bee~ra, porter a t the depot, with wages a t $35.00 per unonth. H e has orle c h i l d , a boy, age 22 years. H e is now b u y i n g a q u m t e r block a t $1500. T l ~ e wife w a s born n e a r , lJexa,s,J u l y 13, 1867. H e r fa.ther tlird before 11erbirth. H e r mother's h i r t h l ~ h c emas , Texas, aucl s h e is s t i l l living. T h e mother's m o t h e r h a s been iu n ~ a r r i e d twice. Firsc 1iusl)antl died 8oo11 aftt,r 111arriage; t h e second I ~ I I S ~ ~ Lis I still I ~ liviug. S h e is t l ~ e nnotl~erof two c h i l d r e n ; both a r e n~arriecl,a11c1 hot11 girls. T h c m o t l ~ e rsells vegetables, c h i c k e l ~ sa n d eggs; m i l k and butter, to neigllbors, w a s h e s a n d i r o m a n d s o n ~ e t i n l e s cooks. Slle I ~ a t very l lit,tle c h a ~ i c e for e d u c a t i o ~s ~ n, d was n ~ a r r i e da t eigl~tee~ years. i E a i t h c r I~uslmutlnor wife possc:ssecl a n y property a,t , Texas, ant1 11e h a s Iwen tlieir nia,rria,ge. T h e tmy w a s I J O ~ I I a t i l l s c l ~ u o l ever since h e reacheti school a.ge. Only w o r k s d u r i n g t h e s u m m e r , a r c r a g i n g a b o u t $5 l)er ~veeli. H u s l m n d I J P I O I I ~ S t,o Odd Felof $1500. I o n s Lodge, a n d h a s a n a c c i t l e ~ ~ life t, insr~rai~c policy e ST. 13. A c i t y .fu,,!,il:yliving i n 7 r o o ~ n s c , o i t h arl illcome of $1,744 per yen?. T l ~ e r e are eight m e ~ n b e r s in t l ~ e f a n i i l p ; f a t h e r , 53 y e a r s of a g e ; 1nothc:r. 49 yvars of a g e ; grantlmotller on t h e fat,her's side, 80 y e a r s of a g e ; eldest d a u g h t e r 21, eldest so11 19, younger da.ugliter 1'7, youngest te l youngest girl 12. T h e f a t l ~ e r is a railway m a i l clerk anti so11 15 a ~ ~t h ha,s beeii for y r a r s . T h e m o t h e r only carries on t h e l ~ o u s e h o l daffairs with t h e a i d of t h e t h r e e girls. T h e g r a n d n r c ~ t h e r a t t e n d s to the cow a n d s r l l s thc. illilk. T l ~ e eldest, d a u g h t e r t e a c l ~ e sin o n e of the l ~ u b l i c scliools of the city. T h e oldest so11 works ill a ba,rber shop. T h e j o u n g e r son a t t e n d s college in the w i ~ ~ t a e~ r ~works tl a s messenger boy in one of t,he factories in sulnluer. T h e o t h e r two girls a,ttencl school a n d a l s o assist in t,he honse work. Duri~~ va,c,atioi~ g three meals a r e s e r v e d : b r d t f a . s t a.t T:30 a. rn.,a n d a t 6 p. 111. R u t w11e11 school begins only c1innc.r :rt 12:0()p. 111. a n d s111)1)er two nnrnls a r e served: breakfast, a n d late d i n n e r a,bout 4:XO p. m . Tliey c,a.isr 11u11o of t h e food, everytlling is bought. T h e m e a l s a r e served by t h e girls of t h e f a . ~ n i l y . T l ~ e disl~es used or1 t h e d i ~ ~ i n g - r o ota,ble m a,re c h i n a , t l ~ eknives and forks silver. Imt t l ~ o s eused in t h e k i t c l i e ~ a~ re u o t so expensire. T h e table usrtl in t h i s kitchen is comparatively s111a11, h r i n g 011ly for f a m i l y use. R u t when there is c o m p a n y t h e larger dining-room is usrcl. F o r breakfast they a l w a y s 11a.re some kind of cereal, biscnits, t e a a n d coffee; e i t h e r fried s t e a k , h a m , o r the like, a n d h o m e - m a d e butter. For dinner t,l~ey penera.lly ha.ve s o ~ n e t h i n y boiled, a n d dessert. e i t h e r pies o r pudding. T h e y a l w a y s dress w r l l ancl a r e a l w a y s very n e a t ant1 c1ea.n. 'rhis f a m i l y w a s once a c c u s t o ~ n e dto s p e n d i n g Ctiristmas d a y w i t h the grandparents-the m o t h e r ' s paxents-hut since t h e i r cleat11 they spend t h e holidays a t home. T h e y a t t e n d c h u r c h r e p -
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larly, and the ~nottter h e l o n g s t o o n e of t h e l a r g e s t M e t h o d i s t churclles of t h e c i t y . T h e m o t h e r a n d f a t h e r ow11 qllitle a d e a l of p r o p e r t y ; t h e w a s left t o h e r b y h e r p a r e n t s , t h e f a t h e r a c q u i r e d h i s b y his o w n labor.
Section 20A. Expenditures of Laborers. J n s t before g o i n g t,o press t h e f o l l o w i n g b u d g e t s of N e g r o l a b o r i n g p e o p l e of A t l a n t a t1ave beell c o l l e c t e d . L o g i c a l l y t h i s Section sklould follow Sectio11 20 \vhich i t s e r v e s t o c o l n p l e t e , a , n d r e p r e s e n t s i n o r e n e a r l y t h e r s p e n d i t u r e s of t h e ma.ss of N e g r o e s T h e s e b u d g e t s more collected b y studellts of A t l a n t a University during t h e current year.
; No. 1. A Tl'ootl C'ltoppe?: T w o adults. Weelcly earnings: Heatl, $ 2 . ~ )\\-ife, 75 c e n t s ; total, $:3.2.i. R e n t , fS.00 per month, two rooms. IVeekly esprl?+e: Flour, wheat, 10 lbs., 40 cent,s; corn and cornmeal, 2 lbs., 5 cents; potatoes ( I r i s h , etc.), 1 q u a r t , 5 c e n t s ; sweet potatoes, yams, etc., 1 quart, 5 c e n t s ; greell \-egetables, 10 c e n t s ; meat,: beef (fresh), 1 Ih., 10 c e n t s ; Imcon, 10 cents; fish "f all kinds, 10 c e n t s ; lartl, I 0 c e n t s ; coflee, U lb., 10 cents; sugar, 1 lb., 11)c e n t s ; molasses a n d s y r u p , pt., 5 c e u t s ; coke, 1 bn., 10 Cents; wood, 25 c e n t s ; kerosene, gal. 10 cents. Total, yl.75.
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N o . 3. Lctborrl. iu I ' c i p e ~ ~ ~ M i lSeven l. members in f a n l i l ~ - , p a r e n t and s five children, two hogs a n d three g i r l s ; ages, respectively, 10 and 15 aiid 18,14 ant1 10 years. Weckly earnings: H e a d , 8'22.00; one hoy $'i.(lO autl one girl $1.75; total, $30.75. H o w e ow~ietl ( r e n t of a similar honse, $10.0(1), four rooms. Weekly expense : Flour, wheat., 50 lhs., $1.80; corn and rornmeal, I O lbs., 2 5 c e n t s ; macaroni, 2 lbs., 20 c e n t s ; rice, .3 lbs., 26 c e n t s ; Irish l)otatoes, 1 peck, 30 cent,s; sweet potatoes, yam?, etc., 1 lleck, : 3 0 c e n t s ; green vegetables, 332.; m e s t (fresh beef), 20 lhs., $1.75; sausage, 3 lbs., 2W.; fish of all kinds, t i lhs., 50c.; lard, 4 Ills., BOc.; hut,ter, 2 lbs., 4Oc.; cheese, 2 lbs., 40c.; milk, fresh, 8 quarts, SOc. ; milk, condensed, '2 lbs., Nc.; eggs, 1 tloz., 2ic. ; coflee, 2 lhs., 40c.; sugar, 8 lbs., 50c. ; nlol:~.sses: a n d sy:up, 2 pts., X*.. ; coal, 480 lhs., $1.50; wood, 23c. ; kerosene, 2 gal., 80c. Totxl, $11.20.
No. 3 . T I T ~ . ~ . I I IP C aI ~I. ~ en . ts and one child. Weekly e:irnings: I1e:itl $li.OO, wife $3.110, tot,:tl $!l.lK). H r u t p5.W per m o n t h , three I'OOIIIS.\\'eekly es1)ense: Flonr. w h e a t 12 lhs. 50c, corn and vornrneal 1U 11)s.25c, dried peas and beaus !.(r lb. 5c, tomatoes, etc. %ic, nient, beef (fresh and corned) 2 111s. 25c, pork (fresh and salt) if; lhs. 75c, bacon, h a m , head cheese, etc. 6 lhs. 75c, fish of all kintls 2 lbs. 35c, lard, snet dripping 2~~ 1Ih. 25c, cheese 1 11). "Oc, milk (fresh) 1 qt. 2W, ten ' l f ~ c s , u g a r 4 lhs. 25c, coal Wc, wood SUc, kerosene I<, gal. lllc. Total, 5 . 0 8 . No. 4. B ~ r i c l h t s . s o ~P ~a . r e n t s and s i x children, four I ~ y aud s two girls; apes, respectirelj., 19, 13, 4 ant1 1,ll and 7 years. Weekly earnings: Heatl, $2U.ilil. H o m e owner1 ( r e n t of similar house $Y.OO), t i r e rooms. \Veelrly e s p e n s e : Bread, of x h e a t, 6 loaves, Wc. ; finur : w h e a t 2 4 Its., !)(I(:. ; rye, T, lbs., 35c. ; crackers, 2 llrs., 25c. ; ~ l ~ a c a r o u 1i , lb., 10c. ; rice, 6 lt~s.,9312. ; potatoes (Irisll, etc.), 3 qts., 15c.; sweet llot:ttors, yams, etc., 1 ilk.. 3nc.; dried hean*, 1 qt., 1.5c.; t o u ~ a toes, 18 Ihs., 45c.; neat: beef (fresh), 10 lhs., b1.W; ham, 2 lbs., JOc.; sausage, 1 Ih., Ilk. ; tisli of all kinds, 3 lbs., 30c.; lard, 4 lbs., 50c.; I ~ u t t e r2 , lbs., JOc. ; cl~eese, 1 lb., 20c.; m i l k , fresh, 8 qts., 80c.; milk, condensed, 1 lb., 10c.; eggs, 1 doz., Zw.; tea,:% Ilr., 20c.; coffee, 1 ll)., 9Oc.; sugar,$, lhs., Wc.; s y r u p , l pt., 10c.; j a l l l ~ ,1 , ; coke, 2 l~u., 2Oc.; keroseue, 2 gal., A O c . Total, $7.!)5. ~~iu 25c.; t , coal, 3 l ~ u .7;c.
Expenditures of Laborers
149
Xo, 5. R c c i l ~ ~ ~ tEJu?,plo,uw. rtl E'arrnts aud o;le child, boy t h r e e y e a r s oltl. o\vnetl ( r e u t of similar house, f'30.00 1)t.r \veel;ly e a r u i u g s : Head, :$%.IJO. H u ~ n e molltl~), seven rooins. Weekly e x p r n w : Bread, of w h e a t , 8 lhs., 25c ; flour: .; p a g h e t t i , 1 lli., lOc.; rice, barwheat, 6 llx., 26c.; corn and co-nmeal, I; l l ~ s .l,- ? ~ s ley, sapo, etc., 3 lhs., %>.; oa.tmea1 antl breakfast cereals, 2 l h s , l(lc.; potatoes ( I r i s h , etv.),; ,? pk., 20c.; s\veet potatoes, y a m s , etc., >: pk., 15c.; dried pea.= and Iieaiis, 1 qt., 2Oc.; s w e e t corn, 14 Ills., J6c.; g r e e n r e g e t a l ~ l e s ,salad, toma), 4 lhs., (iO(?.;I ~ a c o n h , a m , 11cad caheese, etc., 10 toes, etc.., 35c. ; meat: beef ( f r e s l ~ lbs., $1.50; tish of all kinds, :l llrs., 45c.; lartl, s u e t d r i p p i n g , 21; lbs., 2Xc.; hutter, 2 lhs., .loi~. ; olive oil, 1 pt., R O c . ; cheese, 1 lh., %Ic.; niilk, coli~lensecl, 2 ills., %c. : eggs,tidoz.,$1.20; tea, 1 ; l l ~ . , l h croffee, ; )< Ill., 1Rc.; sugnr.4 lLr.,25c.; t n o l a ~ s e s and syrup, 1 l ~ t . , luv.; Ii8e,7Oc.; roal, 6 Ou.,$1.50; wood, (iur.; kerosene, 1 gal., I5c. Total, $ll!.ciS. ~ce P a r e n t s a n d one child, x girl, IS yetlrs. \Veekl>Wo. ti. I t r s ~ ~ , x t Collector. earnings : Hcntl $17.%I,total $li.!,U. H o m e owned ( r e n t of sinlilar house $lO.IXl), five rooms. \Veeklq- e x l ~ e u s e : Bread of w h e a t , 10 Ills., S c . , flonr : w h e a t , 1'2 11:s., 45c., curli :rud c c ~ r u ~ ~ i e i )a ,c l . , s l ~ x g h e t t i1 111. LOc., rice 1'; 111. 8c., potxtc~er : (Irish), 1 q t . jr., s\vert lwtatoes, y a m s , etc., 1 1)ec.k 'XI(.., 11ie:lt: !lee (fre,sh). : 11)s.::Oc., 11orli (fresh ) , 2 11~s. !We., bacon 3 111s.25(*.,lard 'lI/, 11)s. ARC.. h u t t e r 111,. 3.jca., c2hee>e1 111.~ O V . , mill;, frt..;h, 1 q u a r t 5r., milk, contlensetl, 1 11,. Ilk., epf-: 1 dozeu 2'1(-., cwf'fcc 5, 1b. l.'J,r.., s o g a r -11 ; l l ~ i . , 'l5c., c!oal 3 On. Xr., wood 2.ic, keroeeue 1 gal. 1%:. Total, $4.115. sa or ~ ern . t s a n d tu-o chilclreu, ages 10 and 7 years. Weekly No. i. X ' ~ . i r k ~ ~ ~ c tP earnings: IIeatl $12.00, wife !$5.OO;total $lT.O(I. House owned ( r e n t of s i m i l a r honse $3.00 per m o u t h ) , three rooms. Weekly e x p e n s e : E r r a t l of w h e a t , 2 l l ~ s . IOc, flour: w h e a t , 12 11,. 45c, coru autl cornnieal, 2 11,. 5c, crackers, 1 1b. 10c, nixi.( I r i s h , etc.), 1 qt. %?,sweet potatues, a:.orii, 1 1b. 10c, rice, 2 11). Irk, p ~ t a t o e s yanln, etc., 2 qts. 10c, green vegetables, LO<', rueat : beef (fresh), 3 111.2542, pork (fresh) 2 11).3oc, Iratn, 1 113. 20c, s a u s a g r , 1 11). 10c, f i ~ h of a l l k i n d s , 3 lb. 25r, lartl I lb. 2 1 W , cheese, 1 1 1 7 . 2Uc, m i l k ( f r e s h ) 4 q t s . I5r, m i l k (con21h. %c, I ~ u t t e r . coffee, 1 1b. O)c, s u g a r , 4 11)s. "c, nlolasse:: densed) I 111.IOv, eggs, 1 d o ~ 25c, and s y r u p , 1 1)t.Ilk, coke 30c, \vootl "c, kerosene, K gal. 101'. T o t a l , $4.66. No.8. I'ify P ~ c r t - r l r i ~ ~ e T rw . o a d n l t s antl o n e child, a boy one y e a r oltl. U'eekly r ; ~ r i ~ i r i g s Head : $(i.OO, total $6.00. R e n t $:3.(Kl per m o n t h , two roornr. 2 lhs. 5c, rice 1 Weekly expense : F l o u r , w h e a t 24 10s. !MI(., corn antl c o r n ~ n e a l lh. 10c, lrutatoes ( I r i s h ) 1 qt. jc, sm-ecxt potatoes, y a m s , etc., pli. l j c , dried peas 2 qts. 20e, meat.: beef ( f r c s l ~aiid corncd) ti lti.fiOc, p o r k ( f r e s h a n d s a l t ) I 1% lRc, bacon 2 111s.d5c, sansage 1 lh. 10c, lard 1 1 1 1 . 15c, b u t t e r 1 : 11). lOc, coffee % Ib. l5c, s u g a r ! ! 11)s. 15c, molasses and s y r n p 1 pt. 10c, v i n e g a r , picklcs a,nd ~ondirucnt~ :,r, s n e a r b r e r 4 pts. 2l1c.,coal 1 liu.2'5c, wood 15c, k e r o s e n e :? g a l . I(!(.. Total, $3.35.
?,
No. !I. Y,.rr!/,~rccn. Two adults. \Vet.kly e a r n i n g s : Head $8.00, wife $1.75: total $51.75. R e u t p3.N per m o n t h , three rooms. W e e k l y e x p e n s e : F l o u r , wheat ' 12 Ihs. 45c, corn antl cornmeal 4 llrs. Ilk, rice 1 It>. lOc, potatoes ( I r i s h , e t c . ) L cluarts lo(:, s\veet potatoes, yam?, etc*.,:: qts. l.ic, dried peas a n d beans 2 qts. Wr, green \-egetablc.; 30r, m e a t : beef ( f r e s l ~ and c o r n e d ) G Ibs. HOr, p o r k (fresh antl . sausage 2 l t ~2Oc, . fish of a l l k i n d s 2 llbs. lsc, lard, Salt)? 11)s.30c, h a m 2 1 1 ~Ulc, 1 11).2Oc. eggs 1 doz. 25c, coffee 1 lh. 20c, sligar ; : suet d r i l ~ p i n g2 111s.%c, l ~ u t t e r 11)s. 21lr, vinegar, pic-kles a n d condilnents 5r, sllirits 2 pts. $l.l;O, coal 1 1 b ~ 2nc, . WOod % r , k(.roseue ), gal. 20c. Total, $6.40.
150
S o . 10. 1)1~rty)11nw T w o a d u l t s a u d t w o c h i l d r e n , girls, a p e s l h n [ l 11-eekly e a r u i n g s : H e a d $6.00, w i f e $1.50; total $7.50. R e n t $4.50 per t,yo morns. W e e k l y e x p e n s e : F l o u r , w h e a t , S 11,s.. ROc., c o r u n ~ r n l 1,, ~ ~ k ljc,, , , dried heans, 1 qt. lOc., g r e e n vegetables--salad, tomatoeo,ctc., ~ u v . 1neiLt , : ,fresh a n d corned) 2 11)s. Zlc., p o r k ( s a l t ) 4 lbs. 501a., s i n s a g e 11, I*?., larcl tea :II-., coffee .Trc., molasses a n d s y r u p 2 qts. l5c., s u g a r Y 11,s. 13c, I)eer $ l , l ~ \vl,otl ~, .i(Jr., k r r o s e u e g:11, l0c. Total, $8.85.
No. 11. I'ovtrr iit 8tor.e. T w o a d u l t s a n d t h r e e c h i l d r e n , girls, 11, !, n11d i years. W e e k l y e a r n i n g s : H e a d $ti.OO, u.ifc 75 ceuts, total $6.75. i t e n t $231 p e r ~ n o n t l io , n e room. W e e k l y e x p e n s e : F l o n r , \\'heat 24 1 1 ~ <oc., ~ . corlln~eal 1 p k YOc., s w e e t p o t a t o e s 1 p k . Sllc., g r e e n vegetili,lej., salat(, tolnat,Jes, rt?., dUr., p o r k ( s a l t ) S 111,s. $1.00, s a u s a g e 1 11,. Ilk, fish of a l l killCls 4 1 ~ ) ~ . lard 35c., b u t t e r I.; l h . l5c., coffee !i 113. 10c., s u g a r 4 It). '75c., \\-ood ;,uc, kerosene 1 q u a r t 5c. Total, $8.35.
z-,(.,,
No. Id. Curpeiitrr. T h r e e atlnlts a n d o n e child, a g i r l t i r e Fears ,,id, II'eekly e a r n i n g s : H e a d $18.00, total blRO0. R e u t fs.W p e r ~ r ~ o u tfh o,u r ro<)lll.-;. c o r n m e a l 2 qts. lOc., macaroni 1 11,. 1I'eeltly e x p e n s e : F l o u r , w h e a t 8 lhs. ~ I c . , 10('., rice 1 11). l k . ; potatoes ( I r i s h ) 3 qta. I%., s w e e t potatoes, yams, ct ,...f i , t s . lor., d r i e d p e a s a n d b e a u s I qt. lOc., g r e e n v e g e t a l ~ l e s ,salad, tomatoes, et,.., 4w.; m e a t : beef ( f r e s h antl c o r n e d ) 4 lbs. SOc., p o r k ( f r e s h a n d s a l t ) . ' ]Ils. ::,p., I):LI.:OU 2 11)s. Yr., s a u s a g e 4 lbs. 10c., l a r d 3 ll~s.,:iOc.,b u t t e r 1 11,. :;>c., cheese 1 11,. 31c.,u l i l k ( f r e s h ) 2 ( l t a .'0(:., m i l k (coUden.-ed) 1 11). Il'c., e g g s 1 tluz. %c., t c : ~5, 11). 13c., coffee 'I 11,. Is(:., s u g a r 5 Ibs. %c., 111o1assc.s and r i y r ~ ~ 1p pt. Sc., \-illegar, pickels a n d c o u d i n l e n t s I p i n t 5c., f r u i t s ( f r e s h , d r i e d ant1 c a n n r d ) ant1 J a l ~ ~ ~ ,iOc., coal 250 11,s. IS(!., c l ~ a r c o a l 1 ~ L L .13(:., k e r o s e n e 1 g a l . I5c. Total, $j.ijs. No. 13. C o ~ ~ ~ iLrtCor.ev. i~on adults a i ~ d t w o c h i l d r e n , a boy a n d g i r l , ages
~i y e a r s antl 9 ~ n o n t h r ,r e ~ p e c t i v e l y . W e e k l y e a r n i n g s : H e a d $KOO, w i f e 40
penis ; t o t a l $li.40. R e n t $2.50 p e r m o n t h , o n e r o o n ~ . \YeeBly esl)ell,se: I.'lonr, \vllt.at 21 Ihs. !lllc., c o r n ~ n e a l2 q t i . 10k., riPe 11,, I \ M . 15c., potatoes ( I r i s h , etc.) 1 lit. 5c., eweet p t a t o e s ) ? pk. 15c., g r e e n vegerahlrs, salatl, tomatoos, etc. %I:.; lx,rI< ( s a l t ) S 11). $l.tiO, l a r d 3 It]. :%Jc. coffee !,11). IOc., s u g a r Y Ihs. 15c., coke 2 1111. .)I),..,nrood35(*., k e r w e n e 1 q t . k . Tot:11,$.3.75. X I , . 11. ,Ytrrhir,iir~r~~. ' h v o a d u l t s ant1 t h r e e girls. ages !I, 4 nntl 2, re$pe(.ti\-el>-. \Vreltly e n r u i n p s : H e a d $7.00, wife N.011, t o t a l W.00. R e n t $;.IN, tbrce r , ) o ~ ~ l , sIVeekly . r x p r n s c : 1+'1011r,\v11eat 12 11)s. 4 % r ~k 3 ~e 3 111s.:illc., 1 ~ 0 t A t w s ( Irisll,CJ~C 2 .qts. ) lilc., tlrietl ]was : L I I I beaus ~ 2 ~lts.?l)c., p'otX~ rl e g e t a ! ~ l e sralatl, , tomatoes, etc :%c., r n r : ~ t : beef ( f r e s h a n d ~ : u r ~ ~ e Iit 1I1s. l ) Wc., pork 4 11)s. $or., 4 lb. 10c., s o g a r :3 Ibs. ?5c., v i n e g a r , 1,icliles aud contlil,otter 1 lb. ";c., c:,~ffee 1 . \vood Wc., I ~ e r o s e l i e 1 gal. 1Sc. Total, $4.!JTr. lllelics 1 p i n t 5c., c o a l d ~ L L ~OC., No. 15. IIr~uyi,ctc,r. T K O a d u l t s a n d f o u r child re^^, t w o I)oys a n d t\vo ~ i r l s , ages respectively 4 a n d I ? < ,a n d .5 a n d 8 ye:ll.s. \Yeekl?- m r ~ l i l l g s :l i e a d f:.lMl, e: wheat w i f e $l.:dio; total $ti.50 K e n t $8.50, two r o o ~ n s . I I ' r r k l y e x p e ~ ~ sF'lot~l., I.' 111~. ~ I c .c , o r n m e a l 1 lb. BOP., rilw 1 lb. loc., d r i e d lwan a n d i ~ e a n YOc., s green v e g e t a b l r r , snlatl, tatunt,oes, etc., 10c.. pol I< (f~?.ili a n d s a l t ) !jl, Ihs. $1.25, tiah of a l l k i n t l s 3:; Ibs. 25c.. l a r d 3 lbs. 30c., t r a in(.., a n g a r 5 11,s. .'ic., f r u i t s ( f r e s h . (lrietl :lutl c a r ~ n e dalltl ) jalna 1 Ib. IOc., cuke3 hu.:30r., \voorl :j.?c., k r r u s e n e 1 rlt..7(:. T o t a l $4.05. atlults :LUCI POLL^ c h i l d r e n , two girls and t w o yo. l ( j . ,ylj.r.ct ,y,r.rc.l~f.l: I ) ~ , ~ ~ ,respecti\-ely 14 aucl3, a n ( i 17 anti 10 years. ITeelilx e : i r n i n e : H e a d 81j.60, w i f e 75 c e n t s , 1 b o y $4.50; t o t a l $11.85. R e n t $3.00 per ~ n o I l t h , two rOorns.
Expenditures of Laborers
151
Weekly expense: F l o u r , u'lreat 21 11)s.O r , corumeal 1 p k . 3nc, rice 1 1t1.lib, sweet pota,toes 1 ilk. !5c, 1)caus 2 (its. 3 c , g r e w vegetables, salad, ton1:ltoep. etc., 25c, ~ n c a theef , ( f r e s h ) ?!, 11)s. ROc, lisli of all k i n d s H 111s. 4 1 r , lard 4 Ihs. 501:., ?)utter 111). %c, coffee 1,; lb. lW, sllyar 5 11)s. 25r, s y r u p 3 1)t.s.I%, beer OOr, coal 1 IIU. Xc, mood 50c, kerosene l.5 gal. 10c. Total, $5.90. XIcala a w a y from holiie fi0 cents. Pl ~ T ~.foe P II . ? r s ~ ~ w o iComl~ccii?/. re S o . 17. H ~ ~ r r F o u r adnlts a n d t,wo cllilrlren, one 1)uy and a girl, ages r e a p e c t i r r l y 18 a n d 20 year.<. Weekly earning::: 1le:lcl $13.00, wife $4.0O, t o t a l $19.00. R e n t $lB.GO per niontlr, six rooms. W e e k l y e s p e n s e : Flonr, wheat 12 lhs. 55e, hor:kwheat antl o t h e r 1 p k g . 10c, cornrne:~l 2 qts. loc, mararoui 1 11). 10c. rice 39; Il1e.'3r, oatmeal 2 pkgs. 35(', potatoes (11.ish etc.) !; hu. IXlc, sweet potatoes, . a r m , ctc. 3 q t r . lsc, dried p r a s e and beans 1 rlt. lclc, green vegetal.iles, salad, t,o)natoes,etc. 50c, meat, heef (corned) 2 t , i m Hoe, pork (fresh) li lhn. Wc, I)acol: and haln 4 113s. iiOc, p o u l t r y I cliiclten ti>(:, lish of a l l k i n d s 2 llw. 15r, Inrd X;Ihs. UJo, b u t t e r 15; 111s.45c, cheese 2 lhs. 4012, m i l k (fresh) 4 qts. 4W, milk (condensed) l 1b. E n , eggs 1 doz.25c, tea 1 , i 1b. lOc, coffee 1 Ih.'L.ic, sugar 55, Il,s.4Oc, s y ~ o l r 1 pt. 5c, vineg;~r,pickle..:a l ~ t r'ontlioients l 111t. Rc, f r ~ ~ i l (frecli,drietl d nntl cnnnetl) encl j:trnz 1 11).10v, coal ;; to11pl:?5, coke 1 l)n. Il!c, \\'acid 25c, kerosene I 8211. 1 : ~ . Total $9.13. Meals :&wayfrom h o ~ n e 7.i~: gas 25c. No. 1% B ~ ~ i y m n ~ TIVO r . :~tlults. IVeeBly e a r n i n g s : Head 95.0O, wife $1.00: total $(i.OO. Rent $4.00 p e r 1nor1 th, t w o r o o ~ n s . IVeekly e x p e n s e : F l o u r , wliea t 5 Il~s.Y,jc, corurnral 4 q t s . 2 0 ~ ?ice , ,'; l h . 5 ~ potatoes . ( I r i s h , e t c . ) 9; p l i 2Or, green 1-egctahles, salad. t o m ; ~ t o e s etc. , IiOc, meat, beef ( f r e s h ) 3 lha. 3Oc, pork ( s a l t ) 2 ? , lbs. :3Oc, fish of all kintls 3 lbs.4Oc. l a r d 5 111s.Xlc, b u t t e r 1 11, . 'Re, coffre 1 111. 25c, s u g a r 1lhs. 2Ov, wood 40c, kerosene 4:; gal. IUc. Total $8.(iU. antl t h r e e children, one hog a n d t\\-o S o . l!t C'ommon I,rtOoi~r. T w o a t l ~ i l t s girls, ages i.especfi\-ely 6 ant1 5 aud 3 years. IVeekly e a r n i n g s : Head $7.50, total $7.50. Kent $6i.O0 p e r m o n t h , three rooms. W e e k l y e x p e n s e : F l o ~ ~ wheat r., 12 lhs.Wr, ctornmeal 1 p k . sweet potatoes 2 qts. lor, dried peas a n d t1t.ia.n~ 2 qts. 2Ic, green vegetables, sa1;ttl. tomatoes?etc. 3.ie, meat, beef (freslr) 5 11.~. tick, pork ( s a l t ) 4 11)s. 50ce,fish of all k i n d s Y 11)s. 25c, lard 8 11)s. 31lc, 111itter l 111. 25c, coffee 3; lh. IOc, cocsoa 1 110s IOc, s u g a r 3 Ills. 15c, f r ~ i i t s (tlriecl) 15c, spirits 1; pt. 25q kerosene 1 gal. 15c. Total, $4.55.
So. "1. ,Y~VIL('~I,~C.YOIL Tn-o adnlta. W e e k l y e a r n i n g s : Head $12.00, total $12.00. Hent $6.50 per month. t h r e e rooms. Weekly e x p e n s e : Flour, w h e a t R lbn. 25(:, corn autl corllmeal 4 lhs. Illc, sweet potatoes, yanis, etc. 15 lbs. Me, meat, beef (fresh and coriretl) 2 11)s. ?O(*,pork (fresh and s a l t ) 1 lh. 15c. hacon, h a m , head cheese, etc. 2 11,. 2%:, lish of a l l kiuds 3 llw. 3Oc, lard, s n e t d r i p p i n g 21, lbs. 25r, n u t t e r 5; 111. 15c, niilk ( f r e s h ) 1 qt. 5c, m i l k (condeused) 1 lh. lor, egpr 5, lo?, coffee : ;111 IOc, sngar I ! / ,10a. IOc, viuegar,pickles antl co11dirn~nt.s 1 ptlOc, coal 100 lbs. 50c, wood 5Oc, kerosene 4,; gal. 5c. Total, $3.55.
Section 28. Conclusion. J u d g i l ~ pf r o m fa,mil.v l i f e a n d 11t11er col~dit i o u s h o w fa,,, is it f a i r to c o ~ i c l ~ ~has d e , t h e N e g r o A n ~ e r i c a ne ~ i l ~ r ~ g e t l into twc:~ltietlc ~ e n t n r y c i v i l i z a t i o n ? T h e TTnited S t a t e s I ~ a . dill , 1900. o w n e r s h i p , a n d p e r h a p s 2% of i l l r 10.73;; of i l l i t e r i l r y . 46.5.06 of I ~ o u n e p i t i n l a te b i r t h s . T h e PTeg~w Iia,tl, i n 1900. 44.5% of i l l i t r r a c y , 20.3% o f
152
Wo m a y c o l ~ c l u t l et h i s s t u d y by s h o r t e x t r a c t s f r , ) ~ n tl~e remaylcs t w o of t h e s p e a k e r s of the T h i r t e e n t h A u n u a l C o n f e r e n c e . Miss J a n e Atltlams said,

~ I I I O Io I t ~h e r
thiugc:
T h e t h i n g I feel most s t r o n p l g a s the diAic11lty among the Italians, anlong t,he Greeks a n d amoDg t'he Russians (for these are the ones n h o l n I cunblantly see), is the contrast t h e y fiutl between the life they 11;ive led ; ~ t home antl t h e life t h e y are obliged to live in Chicago. All sorts c,f c u ~ t o l l , ~ fit them to w a l k i n the old f o l k ways,the old WILJ'S wl1ic11 their a u ~ e s t o r s liaye had for so m a n y years. Now, as 1 t a k e it, y o u r tlifticulties are quite r~lrljke that. T h e hal)it* which you m i g h t have had f r o m your ancestors jvere all I~roken into, t h e y were all scattered, and especially tlie 11al)itscol~rrpcted \\-it11 f a m i l y life. T h e r e :Ire advantages and t l i a a t l v a ~ ~ t : ~ # i le ls tlie lack of tr:\(lition antl the lack of I ~ a h i t s in those direction*. T h e advautagee are t l ~ : ~ yun t :Ill+ n l u s l ~ more ready to m a k e gonr ;~.daptatiou;you are much more r e a t l ~ to bring the results of etlucation and the rationalistic side of life to hear directly upon t h e refiniug of t h e f a m i l y . And the disadvantages :ire that you 1;lcl; s o w e of the restrailits of Ihe traditions which the people I have meiitiol~c~l !,ring with them.
. . .
The Rev~reucl E. L. H e n d e r s o n , E p i s c o p a l Xrchtleacwn of tlrp cliovehe of A t l a t ~ t a s . aid : IVlrile the ITrpro has inatle a ~ p l e n d i t lI w y i n u i i ~ p iri the a(.ilnisitio~i c ~ f homes, :I. 1)egiuning it is, n1.d uol the e ~ ~ d For, . here ant1 I l ~ r r e , in i>onntl.\ aud i n city, ~ v e find uot only types of t h e ideal home but t e n v ~ r ~ e n tand a s h a n t i e s \vl~icll l ~ a ~ e aflortl ly protectinti from \vind and s t o r m ; tl\vellings w h e r e the Inws of health are clefid, where the most o r d i l ~ a r ysanit:wj; w r a n y e ~ n e n t sare n n k n o w n , a n d where I~oarclsof healtll fail to pellcttr:~te; heds innoceut of olotlliug; h u m a ~ i forma, even those of cl~ildren, piteously c l a d ; hunger written upon careworn faces and desp:rir rverywhcre t r i n ~ n p h ant. \That can I)e expected i n s u c l ~a h o ~ n e a s this l111t tllat ~ . l l i c oftell l~ exists-an iinmoriility as deep a s its poverty ; a moral a t n ~ o s l ~ l t e :is re pestil~~nt,ial a s the physical. Agaiu, there a r e homes, so-called, i l l \vliicli the hol3ties of h u m a n aRec.tion a r e greatly warped, if not 11roke11asnl~tler, autl \!-hrrr t h e old mot,to, L ' \ V l ~ ais t home without a f a t h e r ? " ~vliichouce ser\-etl as an atlorument and certificate of value, is now replaced hy the State's c'c21'tilicate of divorce. F o r while t h e Xegro, heillg imitative, has I~eenstrellytllened by the examples of t h e good, he has heen v'ealtcnetl Iry the e s u m l ~ l e of the hail.
Conclusion
153
If the ~ n o r a leconomic , and educational advance of thc Xegro race he necessary for the well-being of society; if thp u n i t of society is not the individtial, but t'he family; if nothing can t a k e the place of the early influelices of a trne home, and the f o n c t i o ~ of l educatiou he to "Prepare us for c o n ~ p l e t e living," then, t,hc C'hriatian Chnrcb, which underlies a ~ i dnpholds all other iustitutions, and gives to each a n iininortal power ancl au eternal significance, must purify t h e stream at tliefountain h m d hy sendiug her ministering angels-her clergy, deaconcsscs, sisters, teachers, Bible women, and visitors-into the homes of t h e Negroes, not only to teach the importance of daily family prayer, hut, in the l a l ~ g u a y eof one of o u r learned prelat,es, to teach, also, what is good taste in dress; t h e p a r t soap and water, 1iber:~lly w e d , plays in healtlb a n d strength of miud and c h a r a c t e r ; the fact t h a t clamn~y bread antl had coffee are not a uecessary incident of poverty; t h a t separate mrl well-ve~it,ilatedbeclrooms, a clean tablecloth and geutle manners, bcloug to a polite education; t h a t order and t h r i f t a r e n o t a waste of time, b u t make time for rational eufoyment and brighten life; t h a t nothill:: is lost by sup1,lanting coarseness, r u l g a r i t y , sloverlliness, with tidiness, retii~e~nen and t iuuoc:ent anlusemeut; t h a t t h e hest, elements of the highest civilization in Virginia or (.'onnecticut are w r o u g h t in the h o m e , and t h a t the sweetness and delight of home are as possible in a plain Negro cabin :IS in lioudes uf 1 ) r i ~ k or 1narl)le ~ v i t l i all modern ilnprox-elnents, and that thc flowers aud the fruits of good living are attainable wherever the disposit,ion exists and a determined effort is made to h a r e them.
F I N A L L If Y :there would be a f u r t h e r transition from Ignorance, poverty antl moral clilrkuesa, to e n l ~ g h t e i i ~ n e n thrift, t, industry, and improvement of the i n d i ~ idual and the Negro family, the Church and the R o m e mnet u u ~ t e i!~ a more rigorous warfare to r e d w e to a m i n i m ~ u nthe prevailing evil of divorce. This they niust do,
(1) Ry teaching young w o r n e ~ to ~ appreciate t h e serio~isness of marriage, its solemn import arid its sacred responsibilities.
( 2 ) B y teaching ~ o u n g men to revere womanhood and motherhood, for t h e s a k e of their own mothers and the Mother of ~ L I Lord, I so t h a t their purity inay he no mere prudential restraint, b u t a generous and chivalrous C l i r i ~ t i a u knightliness.
(3) B y teachiiig all that marriage and family life a r e not dependent upon selfish desire, or mere caprice, hnt are institutions ordained of God, and desiysed like otller ordinances of God w i t h a view to the education, the formation and discipline of character.
W h e n the ( ? h u r r l ~ a n d the H o m e receive a clearer vision and use their full power; when the estate of Holy Matrin~onj-, which has a sacramental charor d llight,ly," y t)ut acter, he iio longer eutered into, as s o ofteu now, L L ~ ~ u a d v i s e "rel-erently, discrcerly, adrisctllg, soberly, and in the fear of God," the11 t h e Church and the Home will haye served their mission, ancl be permitted to look witli satisfaction upon "Their sons as plants grown up in their youth, autl their daughters a s corner-stones, polished after the similitude of a palace."
Addams Jane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152 ~drerli;arnents for s l a \ ' ~ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23, P I .Ifrica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9,lO. . . 4"$m Africn. E a s t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Africa. F a m i l y e c o n o m y of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ! I ; !lg . I f r i c a . L a w of p r o p e r t y . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98. 9 ! ~ Africa.. n f a r r i a ~ e i n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10, 18 7 Africa. P o l y g a m y . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 African c l a n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Y O A f r i c a n fnniily i n s t i t u t i o n s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Afrii-an hi1111es . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42- 15. 118 Age a n d s e x . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 . A g r i c u l t u r e , U . H . I ) e p n r t ~ n e l l of t ............................................... l ? ~ A l l e r dwellinws . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58.59 ~ l l ~ r ? r i c~ an c & o n l l cAssocintion, R e p o r t of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ill6 llt7 A t l a n t a . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58.60 61-66: 114 Atlallt n. U l l i v r r s i t y . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5, 122 Auctinn.Sln \-e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-?5 A u t h o r i t y . La.c k o f , ill s l a v e h o m e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4!J
. v.
.
Babemba villages ............................................................... . . . . 4?2 B a l t l ~ ~ ~. o . .r. e .................................................................. 125-126 B e t r o t h n l s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . l:i Bihliographv ................................................................ H-H B i r t h - r a t e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3I.R4 ST-38 Bongos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 3. Brnnclt, bliss Lil1la.n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1:0-6'1 B ~ e z i. l. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 1 B u e c h e r on Afrlca . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97-98 Ruclgets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114.1?2, 14X-151
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Cameron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C&~rnegi In nstitution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 (!hiefs. Wahurlra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:i C h i l d r e n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . :E-35 (?hri~t~n .n . .s. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150-131 . . . 20 I'hrlstol3hr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C i t y holnes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5H Classes, L)i!ierentiution o f . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IZ'-1% . . l(X)-1114 (!lr)thir~:: of slaves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Coast gnid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 C!r,nfrrc.llc~s.A t l a n t a . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-14 55 ('r~u)ug:llconrtitiq~nof Negro?$ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Uitvin~'to11 G a . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..... .. 56 (!rowding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.7, l31, 11'7-12s (:nstrllns, Hygienic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 H
Death-rate of Atlanta Negroes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I X I D r n t h - r n t e of c l ~ i l r l r r .~. ~ ....................................................... :31 D r n t h - r a t e of Negroes i n W m h i n g t o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 I)eiarense in children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . YB Differentiation of clnsses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . l?T-l?H 1)ink;r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Ilisproportio~l of sexes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 1)irorce . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . If, J)weIlings. n u m h r r . s i t u a t i o n of. in S t . L h s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IiO-lil Dwellings. aize of i n P h i l n d e l p h i n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-1!4 Dwelling 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I!)-$1
Economic condition of Negro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1111-llli !W1114 Econo~nics of s l a r ~r y . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E l l i s on Africa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10, 1.i 18-16 Excursions. picnics. e t o . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133 E x p e n d i t u r e s of 1nl)orers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14%-151
Family. Economics of Negro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . V-l:? Fnnliiy. G o r e r n ~ n e n t of A f r i c a n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ili F a m i l y . Negro. in N r w Y ork . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I;??-IH:3 F:rn~ilyr e l n t i n n s h i p s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-15 F a m i l y . Size of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31.M. 5F.77 I?!). 1:il-145
Index
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128-130 F a m i l i e s N u n ~ l ~ of. e s o w n i n g a n d relltlng houses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121-116 . Fnrlness a n d f a r m s . N e g r o . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104-105 Farlns. I n c o m e of Negro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 Fclnnles. Excess of Negro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Fla.ts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Fi~od . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53-54. ion. 10.3 m - l n i4:i-144 F s e e d ~ n e n ' sB u r e t ~ u. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 FI'OIICS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131 Funprnls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131 F u rui t use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Families. Negro. of Doughesty county.Ga.
Georgia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I(ri U1~1up. T h e fanlily . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . In laytian revolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . --- . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 .I.~vford. on i \ f r i r n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-li ' I r n t i n g . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67.71. 75 3enderson. Rev . H . 1 .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.5'2.153 3o111r.T h e c i t y . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5H 3 n n I 1 e v l l a g e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54-5H 3 0 1 1 1 .~ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42-19 Iomes. .4 f r i r n l ~ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .I?-46. $48 1~111ies. Better s l n r e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I5-50 V2 I o m e s , Conrlitiol~ ~ , f . a f t e r ( . l r i l\ ~ n . r. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WliY %omes.(.it?. of I ~ e t r e class r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 3c11nea ( ' n u n l r y . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60-54 3o111es.l ) e s c r l p t i ~of j ~t ~ hree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . li5-66 LIolrles. Description of situation of Freedlllen's . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64-56 3 o t n r s Method of I1 uyl11g . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 I S i n 4t11t: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ti5 3ornes of freed slu.res . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 3on1es. Pictures of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80.96 $onlrs. P l a n s of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ....6FI . 80 'Iollles, Rituntion o f . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 I ~ ~ s p l t a l i.t .y . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 s o u s e Size of . . . . . . . . . . . . .*. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56-i7. 50.60 122-123 1%-i2!1 ....................................................... $ 2 8 l o u s e : ~ h e~ f r i c ! : ~.n l o u s e s . Chm-acteristics of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 loust.s. Ilescription of c i t y . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73-80 l o u s e s . r)escriptiom of r e n t e d . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125-126
Ikondu. Town of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 4 I i l i t i t e i s - t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37-42 I m n l o r a l i t y . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41-42 Incolne nnd expense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . l w l l l . 112,114. ~22. lGi40. 143-144 Kaffirs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Klngsley hlisa. o n A f r i c a . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 4 8 .aborers. Expenditures of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148-151 ~ t l n d1)istrihutioll of. hy v a l n e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 and ~ w n e d by Kegroes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104-107 >lrnd.Value of. owned by (:eorgla . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110 Jlght, ill t h e h o m e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52. 5.3 59 77 Aving. Mode of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111-142 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 . ~owntles c o u n t y . Aln.. TVeddlng 111
. .
Negro and t h e plantation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Negro Conferenres. A t k r n t a . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5. 6. 55 Negroes. Effect of village life 1111 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57. 5R Negrlled ( I h f a s s a c t ~ ~ l s ~ ? t t s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 .
5 Occupations of Nep;roes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101. 1%-I 4 O r i n g t o n . Miss M a r y W . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I:??

Parental affection in Africa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 P11II:~delphia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1% Phil.rtlelphla. I n c o m e a n d size of fanlily i n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115 P i c t u r e s of h o m e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31-96
156
plans of homes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6R-RO Poor in New York . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151 .. population 1)istrlImtion of. by conjugal condltlon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EI population1~ e ~ r15 oyears , of age . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 . ~onulation se ~ x of Negro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 pi6f&ional classes . .- . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134 . Property Anlount of. owned . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .139 property: A m o u n t and value of. owned by Georgia Negroes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107-111 Property in West Africa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . !r8 Property. Town a n d city . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 Property, Value of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105 . Property, Value of total a m o u n t of, owned by Georgia Negroes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110
.
Races. Pastoral . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ratzel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...... R e n t Amount of, paid by families . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rent'in New York . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rented houses Description of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Roolns, N u m b e r of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Revivals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Revolution, Economic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Revolution, H a y t i a n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Sandy Spring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Sanitation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53, 59 Saturday visit to tow11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180 Savannah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102-103 School-closing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131 Secret societies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131-132 Sex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Sexes. Disproportion of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 S h a r e systeln of f a r m i n g . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Slave da-ellings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49-50 Slave. Fugitive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23-21 Slave m o t b e r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4~ Slavery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18. 45. 99-104 Slavery of d e b t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 1 Slaves. Condition of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9!)-104 2 Sloves Town life of freed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Slater F u n d . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Slum-worker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . :w Slums of Atlantfl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Socinl life of the country . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130-132 St . Louls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60-62 Stock Value of. owned by (:eorgia Negroes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110 Students. Support of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . lea Suinining u p of econoniic situntlon of Aiuerivan Negroes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111 Yweiufurth on Africa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Tools. Value of. owned by Georgia Negroes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1 1 ) Tshi-spenkiiig puoplt~s. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Tylor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Undesirable localities
........................................................
6 1
Ventilation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3 Waganda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 3 Washington . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62.64, 156 Wealth of Negroes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108-107 Weddings a n d f u ~ i e r a l s. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I31 Xenia. Ohio
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X).3l.li2.124
Yards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59, (i(1.71.73-54. 76. '77 Yoruba-sprnking peoples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-16 Zulus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12,46. 9 7

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Dubois - The Negro American Family

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The Atlanta University Publications, No.

The Negro American Family

W .E. Burghardt D u Bois

The Atlanta University Press ATLANTA, GEORGIA 1908

weiblicher Tugend steht bei manchen D l ~ G m m e n in vie1 hoherer ~ c h t u n g als die

typischen sittengernalde vermuthen lassen."

contempt we have been taught to "TZtertain nor experience."

for the blacks makes us fancy

many things that are founded neither in reason

of the Eagle to defend all which is dear in existence."

Rutlgc-ts Hents Food .

The Thirteenth Annual Conference

To t h e table on t h e proportion of studerits p a y i n g their

The Negro American Family

A Select Bibliography of the Negro American Family

Books and Pamphlets

The Negro American Family

The Negro American Family

The Negro American Family

r e p e a t , t h i s s t u d y i s b u t a s k e t c h w i t h n o p r e t e n s e to\vnrd a t t ~ r r r p t i n p to e s h a n s t a f r u i t f ~ subject. ~l T h e rliain c a u s e of i t s l i m i t a t i o n i s lack of material.

1 Innurnerahlr f ~ i r ? tnlcs poiut to the prrrnlrnce of this rule a m o n g ~~riiiritlre Yacrs.

The Negro American Family

The s ~ c o n d e x t r a c t is from Tylor a n d r e l a t ~ s to t h e Z n l u s :

Ellis: Yurubn-~jrenkiiigF'eoples, &c., pp. 153-4, 154-lbH.

The Negro American Family

' Elllb, Yoruha

sp?nking peoples, lac. cit.

The Negro American Family

' C . Hasford: Gold Coast Natlve Institutions, pp:?(i-78.

The Negro American Family

Sex of Negro Population.

The Negro American Family

The Negro American Family

ordina,ry ~ n o r a l s . A f e w q u a t a t , i o ~will ~ s i l l u s t w t e t h e s e con-

The Negro American Family

w s e p a r a t , i o n uf a family by a.uc.tion w i l l suffice:

The Presl~ytrrian S y n o d of K e n t u c k y s a i d t o t , l ~ e cliurcl~es under their c a r e , in 1335:

The Negro American Family

Bnllugh: History of Slavery 111Virginia, pp. !V,!IH.

The Negro American Family

I f we illustrate tbese percenta'ges by a diagram we have this:

A c o m ~ ~ n r i s oof n the c011juga1 e m i d i t i o n of the rare% ~ gives these figures :

Youth Atlantic. nnd Youth "entral U h i s i o n s T o t a l

' Negroes i n t h e United S t a t e s , 1W1, p. 49.

The Negro American Family

A similar cornpa,rison of races i n ~Ma~ssachusetts follows :

34th i t e l ~ o r t Mnss. , B u r e a u of Stutistios.

Som~ otller romparihons follow:

P E R C E N T O F FEMALES yRA1lS O F A G E OR OVER

. . . . Xenin r t l r ~ ~ ~ ~. i l l ~ !+i~ntl?. Spring . . . . 1111ltedS t a t r s N n t l ~ w~ h i t eh, native parents -

I'JOI) . . . I Nh.tire w 1 1 i t es,i foreigu p a r e n ts-

tic IlY ti5 4

Xenla FHI.IIIV~~~~ Srtndy Sprir~::

The Negro American Family

4 . . . ' .......... !>. . . . . . . . . . . . .

TJ. S. R u l l e t l i ~ oi the Bure:iu of Labor 88:10:1.

C ' o ~ n p a r i n pt h e n u m h e r o f w o i n r n of c l l i l d - b e a r i n g a g e w e may g e t s o m e m e a s u r e of t e c a n d l t y , a l t l ~ n u p l l n distorted o n e o n A C C O U I I ~n t t h e Iargr i l ~ f a n i t x o r t a l i t y a111011g N r g 1 . o ~ ~ :

Size of the Family

C ' u n t i ~ r v t ~ t i1 t l7 1 ~ l t e States d I ! K U . . . . . . Ih!lll . . . . . . . I HHO . . . . . . . . . IS70 . . . . . . . . . 1tmI . . . . . . . 1850.. . . . . . 1Y10 ......

The Negro American Family

Twelfth Census, Bulletin No. 22.

Size of the Family