NORTH FLORIDA AND SLAVERY

A five county region of North Florida was an area of plantations, farms, cotton, and slaves.  The majority of Florida's slaves lived and toiled in this area.  This section was referred to as "Middle Florida", and had as its heart and soul, Tallahassee our capital city.  It spread across the counties of Gadsden, Leon, Jefferson, Madison and Hamilton counties.  Most of the slave owners had re-located to this rich, fertile land from the Carolinas, Georgia, and other states to the north.  They established their farms and plantations.  Their economy was based firmly on slavery..Most worked on large plantations where there were at least 20 slaves, and a minimum of 500 acres.  The "farmer" was referred to as a member of the planter class. They held more than 75 % of Florida's slaves.  Many had small-or-medium sized farms, and kept probably 10 or less slaves.  These slaves worked along side their owners, and lived in small cabins.  The slaves on the larger plantations tended to be  categorized such as carpenters, blacksmiths, field hands, hoeing, plowing, harvesting, house servants, etc.

Leasing slaves to work on jobs outside of a plantation owners property was a common practice.  Oftentimes, puchasing of slaves for leasing was a form of estate planning.  Our early railroads, canals, forts, fortifications were mostly built by these leased slaaves.

The majority of the land between the Apalachiola River and the Suwanee River was devoted to cotton.  Other crops were grown, such as tobacco and sugar.  Each plantation farm grew their own vegetables.

Slaves did try to escape, and many discovered the Underground Railroad to assist them.  Some slaves enlisted in the Union Army, or the Navy.  They not only fought in battles, but some served as informants, guides, and river pilots.  While some, at home in the plantation belt, tried to do their part by not cultivating corn and other crops for food.  Some were pushed into impressment in the Confederacy.  A white male could send slaves into the Army of the Confederacy instead of serving himself.  Their desire for the Day of Jubilee brought about the creation of churches, and some small out of sight schools to teach reading and writing to adult and child alike.