LESSON 7 Museum Connection: Labor and the Black Experience Lesson Title: Linking Cash Crops to Enslaved Labor in Colonial America Grade Level and Content Area: Elementary, Social Studies Time Frame: 2 class periods Purpose: In this lesson students will learn how Maryland became a tobacco-producing colony and the importance of enslaved labor for the production of that crop. Working individually, they will sequence the steps involved in growing tobacco during Colonial times, and they will make a stack book using drawings and textboxes. Students will identify the human, natural, and capital resources used in the tobacco production process. Correlation to State Social Studies Standards: USH 2.3.5.1 Analyze the social and religious composition of early settlers, their motives for migration, and the difficulties they encountered, with particular attention to the early settlements of Maryland. GEO 4.3.5.5 ECO 5.1.5.2 Social Studies: 4.A.2 (Grade 4) 4.A.2 (Grade 5) 5.A.1.a (Grade 4) 5.A.2.a (Grade 5) Describe major kinds of economic activity in Maryland and the United States and explain the factors influencing their location and growth. Explain how producers combine resources to provide goods and services to satisfy economic wants. Maryland College and Career Ready Standards Describe how limited economic resources (natural, human and capital) are used to produce goods and services to satisfy economic wants in Maryland. Describe how limited economic resources (natural, human and capital) are used to produce goods and services to satisfy economic wants in Colonial America. Explain how and why the Maryland colony was established including political and economic motives for coming to the new world. Describe the religious, political, and economic motives of individuals who migrated to North America and the difficulties they encountered. 7-1
5.C.4 (Grade 4) Explain how the institution of slavery impacted individuals and groups in Maryland. Correlation to State Reading and English Language Arts Maryland College and Career Ready Standards: 1.E.4.d (Grades 4 and 5) Draw conclusions or make generalizations about the text. Objective: Students will explain how Maryland became a tobacco-producing colony and the importance of enslaved labor for the production of that crop. Vocabulary and Concepts: Capital resources Capital resources are goods manufactured and constructed by people and used to produce other goods and services. Cash crop A planter grows a cash crop for sale, not for his or her own use. Cooper A craftsman or worker who makes wooden barrels. Goods Tangible objects known as goods can be used to satisfy economic wants. Goods include but are not limited to food, shoes, cars, houses, books, and furniture. Hogshead A hogshead was a large cask or barrel. Human resources The health, strength, talents, education, and skills that humans can use to produce goods and services are known collectively as human resources. Natural resources The renewable and nonrenewable gifts of nature that can be used to produce goods and services are known collectively as natural resources. They include but not limited to land, water, animals, minerals, and vegetation. Slavery Slavery is the institution of owning slaves or holding individuals in a condition of servitude. Trade To trade means o engage in the exchange, purchase, or sale of goods. Materials and Resources For the teacher: Teacher Resource Sheet 1 Colonial Map Colonial Agriculture circa 1770 Teacher Resource Sheet 2 Crop Production in Colonial Times Teacher Resource Sheet 3 Steps for Creating Accordion/Stack Book For the student: Student Resource Sheet 1 Growing Tobacco Student Resource Sheet 2 Economic Resources Used To Produce Tobacco 2 sheets of 8 1/2 x 11 paper cut in half, hot dog-style (lengthwise), for each student 7-2
2 sheets 12 x18 construction paper cut in half, hot dog-style (lengthwise), for each group of 4 students Resources Books: Christian, Charles. Black Saga: The African American Experience. Counterpoint Press, 1998. Web sites: (Caution: many Web sites related to tobacco also have advertisements for tobacco products, so they must be screened carefully before student use.) Economic Aspects of Tobacco during the Colonial Period, 1612-1776 http://www.tobacco.org/history/colonialtobacco.html John Rolfe, The Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities http://www.apva.org/history/jrolfe.html Teacher Background: The Algonquian Indians first introduced tobacco to the colonists in the Chesapeake region. Eventually tobacco became vital to the economy of Maryland and the common currency in both Maryland and Virginia for the payment of fines and taxes. Tobacco also became a primary source of revenue for the two colonies. A duty, or tax, of two shillings (equal to about 20 cents) was levied on each hogshead of tobacco exported. In 1700 the government of colonial Maryland had an income of about 2,500 pounds, which is equal to about $3,784. Maryland and the other colonies were obligated to send natural resources to England, which would then process the resources into manufactured goods and market those goods to other countries. England forbade the colonies from sending their natural resources elsewhere and also forced the colonies to buy manufactured products and other goods solely from England. The growing demand for tobacco in England made increased tobacco production necessary in the colonies. The production of tobacco was a labor-intensive business, so tobacco farmers (in Maryland and other colonies) invested much of their money in African slaves. Because tobacco exhausts the nutrients in soil rapidly, it made better economic sense for farmers to invest in cheap labor rather than in land. They used slaves to till the ground, plant the seeds, raise the plants, weed the fields, and harvest and cure the tobacco. Then, when the land stopped producing good crops, the farmers could move their slaves to work new pieces of ground that had been rented. Farmers also used slaves in other areas of the tobacco production process. Some slaves were trained as coopers and made hogsheads for the export of tobacco. Others were forced to be blacksmiths, who made the rims for hogsheads, or to work as carpenters or stablemen. Since one hogshead could weigh up to 1,000 pounds, it was 7-3
easiest to transport them by water. As a result, most tobacco plantations were located in close proximity to waterways. Slaves would roll hogsheads full of harvested tobacco from plantations to wharfs, where ships from England waited to receive them. Most years the tobacco harvest brought economic prosperity to Maryland. In fact, those engaged in other trades realized that it was more profitable to raise tobacco and so became farmers. Tobacco was subject to disaster, such as from the weather or improper curing, just like any other crop. Nevertheless, tobacco contributed greatly to economic growth in Maryland, which (like other colonies) had become dependent on slave labor. In 1690 about seven percent of the total population in the Chesapeake region were slaves; by 1750 the number had grown to 35 percent. By the time of the American Revolution, the institution of slavery the backbone of tobacco production in the colonies was widely accepted, both politically and socially. Lesson Development Note to the teacher: Cut out Student Resource Sheet 1 prior to conducting the lesson. 1. Motivation: Tell students that by the 1700s people in England had developed a taste for tobacco. They were willing to pay a great deal for it, so landowners in several colonies set out to meet this demand and make money by growing tobacco. Tobacco was a cash crop, a crop grown just to sell, not to use. Farmers sold their tobacco to merchants who owned ships that sailed to and from England. The ships came to landings very close to the farms. Display Teacher Resource Sheet 1, Colonial Agriculture circa 1770, and ask: Why do you think so much land in Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina was used to grow tobacco? Nearness to navigable water, since all goods coming from and going to Europe were transported by water. The land had good soil. Often, the areas with the best soil were old fields that had been cultivated by Native Americans. Climate was good for growing tobacco. Tell students that not all planters in these colonies were successful in growing tobacco. Climate and soil were very important in growing tobacco and determining the profitability of the crop. Have students locate on the map where tobacco was grown in Maryland (the Eastern Shore and southern counties on the Western Shore). 2. Tell students that natural, capital, and human resources are needed to produce tobacco or any other crop. Display Teacher Resource Sheet 2, Crop Production in Colonial Times, as an example. Review with students the terms natural resources, capital resources, and human resources. 3. Tell students to look at the photograph and identify the natural, capital, and human resources needed to grow crops in the colonies. 7-4
natural resources: soil, plants capital resource: farm tool human resource: farmer 4. Ask students to identify products made from corn and other products grown by farmers (e.g., tobacco). 5. Now, explain that much of the work done on a tobacco plantation hundreds of years ago was provided by enslaved people, the human resources. These people were captured in Africa and forced to come to America. Many died on the horrible journey. Once in America, many of these Africans worked on tobacco farms. They planted and cultivated the planting beds, transplanted the tobacco plants to the fields, hoed the weeds, picked the worms, and harvested the crop. Then they worked to dry the leaves and pack them in hogsheads. The work was very difficult. 6. Give each student a set of Growing Tobacco drawings and textboxes (Student Resource Sheet 1). 7. Next, tell students to read the information in each box and match it to one of the photos. Discuss the information with them. 8. Tell students that they are going to make an Accordion/Stack Book using the drawings and textboxes. Directions: Arrange three sheets of 4 1/4 x 11 paper in a series of steps. The first fold is about 3 1/4 down. The other folds are 1 down. Hold the papers together and fold all 3 sheets over to form 6 steps. Place a rubber band under the top fold to hold the book together. Paste pictures and textboxes on each of the six pages in sequential order. Answer Key: A - 5, B - 4, C - 1, D - 9, E - 8, F - 2, G - 10, H - 3, I - 7, J - 6 9. Assessment: Distribute Student Resource Sheet 2, Economic Resources Used to Produce Tobacco. Tell students to use the drawings in order to identify each of the resources and explain how they were used to produce tobacco. Drawing 1 natural resources: soil and tobacco plants used in the production process Drawing 2 human resources: enslaved people tending the crop; natural resources: soil, tobacco plants; capital resources: hoe and basket are tools used to grow tobacco Drawing 3 capital resource: tobacco barn used to store and dry tobacco after it has been harvested Drawing 4 product: dried tobacco made into smoking tobacco used by colonists and Europeans 7-5
10. Closure: Place the following statement on the chalkboard: Tobacco was a laborintensive crop in Maryland. Have students justify this statement by identifying all the jobs done by the enslaved African Americans in growing tobacco and getting it to market. (Answer key: preparing the seedbeds, preparing a hill for each plant, transplanting seedlings, worming, topping, weeding, harvesting, cutting and spearing, hanging, stripping, bundling, packing leaves into hogsheads, rolling hogsheads to the landing.) Tell students that all of these tasks were carried out with great care so as not to bruise or otherwise damage the fragile tobacco leaves. In optimal conditions, one worker might produce 1,500 pounds of tobacco in a year. Thoughtful Application: Today tobacco is no longer an important crop in Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina for health reasons. What crops could farmers grow instead? Lesson Extensions: Visit the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and. Visit the National Colonial Farm in Prince George s County, Maryland. Make a diorama of a tobacco plantation. 7-6
Teacher Resource Sheet 1 Colonial Map 7-7
Teacher Resource Sheet 2 Crop Production in Colonial Times 7-8
Teacher Resource Sheet 3 Steps for Creating Accordion/Stack Book 1. Arrange 3 sheets of 4 1/4 x 11 paper in a series of steps. The first fold is about 3 1/4 down. The other folds are 1 down. 2. Hold the papers together and fold all three sheets over to form 6 steps. 3. Place a rubber band under the top fold to hold the book together. 4. Paste pictures and textboxes on each of the six pages in sequential order. 7-9
Student Resource Sheet 1a Growing Tobacco The tobacco-growing season might have started as early as January. Tiny tobacco seeds were planted in seedbeds. About 10,000 tobacco seeds filled a teaspoon, so preparing and sowing the seedbed was a difficult task. Small plants were protected from the cold by covering them with pine branches. Seedlings had to be watered and weeded. A While the plants were beginning to grow in the seedbeds, new fields were cleared. Forests were cut so that tobacco could be planted in large fields. Tobacco exhausted the soil after four or five years, and new fields had to be constantly prepared. B After two months in the seedbeds, tobacco plants were large enough to be transplanted. They were planted in the mounds because they required a great amount of space for leaves to develop. C Tobacco growing in the fields needed constant attention. Weeds were pulled and plants were watered if there had been little rain. Tobacco plants also had be checked for worms. The only way to remove worms was to pull them off each leaf. Every enslaved person was needed to kill the worms. D Late in summer or early fall, the entire stalk of each tobacco plant was cut at the bottom and left to wilt in the fields for a few hours. Next a hole was cut in each stalk so that it could be threaded onto a long stick, called a tobacco stake. As many as six to eight stalks were placed on a stake. E In November and December stalks were moved to the drying house or barn and hung under the beams until they were fully dry. These drying houses or barns had good ventilation and kept out sunlight and rain. F When the leaves on the stakes were dry, they were taken down and stripped from the stalks. This was often done on rainy days so the leaves would not crumble and break. The dried tobacco leaves were bundled into hands, a bunch of 10 to 20 leaves wrapped together. The hands were packed inside barrels called hogsheads. G H Some enslaved people worked as coopers on plantations, making barrels of all sizes including hogsheads. Hogsheads could hold 200 to 1,000 pounds of tobacco, depending on their size and how they were packed. I It took several months to transport the hogsheads from the barn, down roads, often called rolling roads, to the wharf and load them onto the ships. When the ships were loaded, they set sail for England. J 7-10
Student Resource Sheet 1b Growing Tobacco 1 2 4 3 5 6 8 7 9 10 7-11
Student Resource Sheet 1c Growing Tobacco 7-12
Student Resource Sheet 2 Economic Resources Used to Produce Tobacco Identify the economic resources in each photograph, and label them as natural, capital, or human. Explain how these resources were used to produce tobacco. 7-13