The horrible practice of slavery happened during Spanish, French, British, and United States periods in North American. Slavery usually happened on plantations that grew huge crops of indigo, sugar cane, tobacco, and cotton.
Destrehan Plantation on the Mississippi River in Louisiana began in the early 1700's when the Spanish were in control. The plantation included a large main house for the owner and owner's family. It also included slave quarters, a main kitchen, a black smith building, and other buildings used to hold horses, cows, chickens and work tools. in the spring indigo was grown and then sold. Indigo is the color blue dye to color pants. Then, it changed to become sugar cane. They would cut the sugar cane down, squeeze it and then it would become sugar. They still make sugar cane that way today in the world.
Indigo plant
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The plant color changes to dye, like paint, to color clothes.
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Squeezing sugar cane
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Sugar cane plant
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- One building is the main kitchen for the house because they could not be safe with fire in the house. In the main kitchen they cook with fire and take food to the main house. They would cut up and mix meat, vegetables and fruits. This also served as the slaves' kitchen where the slaves cut up food, but instead of making a very fancy meal, they made a stew. Out here you see trees with large limbs, Live Oak, they grow mostly in the south and generally where it is wet. The trees provided a lot of shade to cool. You can see on the ground the leaves fall so it can be a problem because of fire. So, must be very very careful to keep fire in one area. This plantation went from the Mississippi River,in front of the house, to 6 miles that way. You can't see it, but it is 6 miles and goes to Lake Pontchatrain. It is a huge lake. Mississippi River, there, way back Lake Pontchartrain. In between is where they grew sugar cane and cut it.
This is where slaves lived also people who were free black people worked here but mostly black people were slaves. One family of slaves lived there and other family lived here. Real life, long ago, this house was about 1/4 of a mile from the house that you saw before. Here in Louisiana they had a different kind slave system. Creole system different from eastern America. Here they worked 5 1/2 days a week with 1/2 of Saturday and all day Sunday free. Slaves grew their own garden, go catch and kill and eat animals and share with main house, the plantation. Back then you see children around but no cooking fires because all this wood would be danger because bark causes fire. No teachers or school for slaves. But, some slaves learn to read, some spoke French, some spoke English, and some spoke Spanish; eventually the three languages combined called Creole using French, Spanish and English words.
Abraham Lincoln - President 1861 to 1865 President Lincoln as a boy
 Abraham Lincoln, President
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States of America (USA) from 1861 to 1865. His greatest accomplishment as President was to outlaw slavery with the Emancipation Proclamation. President Lincoln also saved the Union so that we are still the United States of America. President Lincoln's likes |
When Abraham Lincoln was a boy he carried water to the house, cut wood for fires and fished for food. He, also, helped build a house when he was 8 years old in Kentucky.
He attended school only a few months each year. His Mother would read to him as a young boy. As he grew up he taught himself to read and understand new ideas. He loved to read. |
This was Abraham Lincoln's first look at slavery.
Another important aspect of Abe Lincoln during his boyhood, in Kentucky, KY, was Abe saw the humiliating sight of black people forced to work for free.
He never forgot..... When he became President he spoke and acted to eliminate slavery which violated their right to live "free," without chains, have a home, family and earn wages for his/her work. |
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He loved to read. He loved to learn. He loved his family. He loved to wrestle. He loved to think of new ideas. He invented a lift for riverboats when they were stuck in a sandbar. President Lincoln family man and lawyer
President Lincoln's family; Mary, his wife and four sons; Robert, the oldest and tallest, Willie is next to the President, Tad is next to Mrs.Lincoln.
Eddie is not shown in the picture. The only son who lived to become an adult was Robert, the oldest. Willie died at 11 years old. Tad died at 18 years old. Eddie (not shown in this picture) died at 3 years old. |
This is Lincoln's home in Springfield, Illinois. He lived here with his wife and four children. He was a self taught lawyer. But, to become a lawyer he did other jobs to earn money while he studied. For example, he worked splitting wood, was a shop keeper and worked at the post office.
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Abraham Lincoln worked as a lawyer. He worked for the railroad companies as a lawyer. The people of Illinois voted Lincoln into the Illinois House of Representatives and the Illinois Senate. He tried twice to become a US Senator but lost both times. One reason he lost his race for US Senator was because he opposed the Mexican/American War. During his campaign for US Senator he opposed slavery. The people in the North opposed slavery also. He never gave up running for national office and in 1861 he was elected the 16th President of United States. Lincoln's presidency ended slavery and preserved the Union. This shows if you believe and support what's right you can correct wrongs to right.
President Lincoln at the White House 1861 to 1865
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The White House 1861 to1865
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 North in blue and
South in grey and brown
As a result of his leadership the President brought the north and south back together as one country. The south opposed freeing slaves. The north supported freeing slaves. In 1861, seven southern states separated from the north. This began the Civil War. A total of 600,000 men died fighting for what they thought was right. Freeing slaves won. The Emancipation Proclamation is President LIncoln's executive order to free the slaves. The Emancipation Proclamation led to writing the 13th amendment to the Constitution of the United States which outlaws slavery.
During the Civil War there were many Deaf soldiers. Also, Gallaudet was used as a hospital. And, several Deaf students worked in the hospital to help the wounded soldiers heal. |
Gallaudet
During this time President Lincoln supported Gallaudet in Washington, D.C. He signed the bill approving Gallaudet to award college degrees to Deaf students. Gallaudet was the first college for Deaf people in the United States and world. Lincoln believed if given a chance in life all people can succeed. Remember, Lincoln taught himself how to become a lawyer; he did not have a college degree as a lawyer. So, he was living proof that a person can accomplish his or her goals with the will to succeed and hard work.
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