The Horrific Truth About Breeding Farms During Slavery

Between the late 17th century and the harrowing climax of the Civil War in 1865, America bore witness to a somber and haunting chapter of its genesis. The breeding farms that flourished in the crucible of states like Virginia and Maryland remain a macabre testament to the profound dehumanization of an entire race. Can you fathom the anguish of mothers, daughters, and sons separated not merely by cold, unfeeling chains, but by the scratch of pens in ledger books and the harsh call of auctioneer's gavels?

Robert Lumpkin, an infamous name etched in the annals of history, surfaced as a symbol of this unimaginable cruelty. His establishment, known as "Lumpkin's Jail," located in the shadowy corners of Richmond, was notorious, not merely as a hub for the trading of human lives but as a place of brutal subjugation for those enslaved souls who dared to resist.

Amidst the fertile expanses of the southern states, sprawling plantations, the bastions of grandeur and opulence, were erected upon the broken backs and shackled spirits of countless enslaved individuals. While cotton ascended to its throne as 'king', it wove a tapestry of prosperity for the white plantation owners, a tapestry stained with the sweat and blood of those who toiled under the relentless sun, their hands blistered and their souls weary.

Names like Frederick Douglass and Harriet Jacobs, luminaries who escaped the chains of bondage, echo through time, their words a harrowing chronicle of the experiences of many, shedding relentless light on the relentless machinery and savage routines of the plantation system.

Consider the chilling words of Solomon Northup, "I was seldom whipped, save in the ordinary routine and regulation of the plantation; but the whip, nevertheless, was frequently flourished over my head." His account unveils the grim panorama of indignities and brutalities that were daily companions to the enslaved individuals.

Join us as we navigate the grim annals of breeding farms and the relentless grind of cotton plantations, bearing witness to the stories of those who suffered and those who resisted. Welcome to the diary of Julius Caesar.

The Mechanism that Magnified Misery. Eli Whitney's Cotton Gin.

In the waning years of the 18th century, a curious, innovative mechanism was brought to life, destined to change the fabric of American agriculture and deepen the shadows of an already oppressive institution. Its inventor, Eli Whitney, a young graduate from Yale, had traveled to Georgia in 1792, seeking to reinvent himself. It was here, amidst sprawling cotton fields, that inspiration would strike.

Historically, cotton production was a laborious endeavor, due largely to the tedious process of separating the sticky seeds from the cotton fibers. This made the cultivation of short-staple cotton – the type that thrived in the southern states – economically unviable. For every pound of usable cotton, countless hours were expended, primarily by the hands of enslaved individuals. The inefficiency of this process meant that long-staple cotton, which grew mainly along the coast and was easier to process, was predominantly cultivated. Yet, its geographical limitations impeded the expansion of cotton farms.

00:00 A Brief History of Cotton Plantations
2:20 Eli Whitney's Cotton Gin
6:19 The Dark Harvest of Slave Breeding in America
10:05 The Dominance of King Cotton.
14:05 Lives Lived Beneath the Cotton Sun
18:31 Unbroken Spirits in Shackled Times
22:32 Power's Grasp on the Plantation
26:48 Whispers in the Wind
30:47 The Divine Dance of Oppressor and Oppressed
35:00 The Silent Torrents of America's Inner Slave Trails
39:09 The Dual Threads of Enslaved Women on Cotton Plantations
42:36 Weaving Between Cotton, Tobacco, and Sugar
46:10 The Tangled Threads Leading to War
49:59 Remembering the Cotton Legacy

[alrino]

I'm a white, straight, Republican male. These stories of keeping slaves, trading slaves, beating them, breeding them sends rage through my entire person. My small tight circle of close friends includes zero black friends. We just don't seem to have enough in common to attain a close friendship. I do however have numerous black acquaintances through business, church, and other social groups. The thought of treating any of these people with any less respect than I treat my close friends make me physically ill! I sincerely wish none of these things had happened to those people. I am often amazed by some humans inequities towards other humans. It's alarming, and really repulses me.

[geraldmiller]

Cotton balls are protected by a very sharp group of leaves that are like razor blades. this is seldom mentioned what this did to slave's hands.

[pamc]

So many have suffered and were murdered, but "Still I rise". God bless all the souls who endured the evils of slavery.

[joannemcfadden]

History needs to be taught in schools today. My grandchildren know nothing about how our country came to be….the good, the bad and the ugly….educators are afraid to hurt feelings so they leave out the wars and fights we had to endure, not just slavery but the way of life for everyone.

[emmanueldeguzman]

I can’t imagine being separated from my children. What a horrible time, hurts my heart especially as a parent.

[bassist]

In an attempt to educate young people about this history, i made a play list of similar videos. Then i sent it to a friend who is a middle school social studies teacher. So, now she (and now many others) are sharing and teaching about this ugly part of history. My ethnic identity is of no importance, or gender. Im just a veteran who cares about changing things instead of just talking. Much love everyone!

[tinyTears]

Slavery should never of happened in any way, shape or form

[myaw]

Eli Whitney did not create the cotton gin, he stole an idea of a Black man and patented it. Patents were seldom given to Black people.

[AnnaLory-lu]

My grandma told me a story of our great great great grandmother who was enslaved and taken to the islands where she was sold to her slave master where she served as his “wife which he married”she had children that were also enslaved. I told my grandmother they could not marry back then and most likely it was sa. I felt the sadness come over my grandmother. She never thought of it in that perspective. This documentary shows how truly disgusting and cruel “humans” can be to each other.

[earniemaedeen]

I was born and reared in the deep south. The fact that my ancestors were a part of the system of slavery sickens me. That being said the system that followed outright slavery was not much of an improvement. That system was “share cropping”. The land owner provided a wood frame house for a family. The land owner provided seed and fertilizer. The share crop family provided all the labor for growing and harvesting the crop. Land owners often also had stores where the farmer had to go for supplies. The store would run a tab for the farmer and when the crop sold, the tab came out of the farmer’s share of the profit. People were very poor and depended on the fabric bags that staples like flour and sugar were packaged in for clothing and bedding. I have some of these bags that have been passed down in my family. Life was difficult in the south for black and white well beyond the days of slavery. I have not said any of this to diminish the horrors of slavery but to point out that the civil war didn’t end eliminate all slavery in the south; it just changed the structure of slavery.

[playlisttarmac]

I have been watching historical videos on England at this time. The abuse of vulnerable people did not end when the cotton left America. The factories in England “apprenticed” poor / orphaned children who worked for free. A profitable industry for the owners off their “slaves” and workers backs.

[prema]

I am 56, and this was taught in my school. This, and the Native American must be taught.

[ah]

This documentary should be shown in every school from middle school to high school!

[fionasteele]

I went to school in London England, we had an American teacher called Mr Monday . He taught us this history, he also taught us that Thousands of English sailors died trying to stop the Slave trade. This should be taught here in America. I was born in Britain 🇬🇧, , married an American, 🇺🇸 and came here at 23. I am 75 now, and still love history.

[Seacheroftruth]

It is vitally IMPORTANT that these truths, while harsh and vile be NOT forgotten. Our history has been hidden to the youth of our nation, and it has become a liability in their education. They cannot make educated choices both economic and political in light of these failures. References to "the good old days, " are without a doubt lacking in an educated source. It was a time only "good" to the opressor. The oppressed will without a doubt remember that time quite differently. While some will opine that "none of the present have ever been oppressed, " they suffered the fallout that oppression MERCILESSLY! Grandparents and great grandparents are STILL among us who felt in their own person that sting!

[kaycatajen]

My 3rd great-grandmother was owned by the father of two of her sons, so the title alone intrigued me. Thank you for sharing.

[pitchedblack]

As an only 3rd generation descendant from those enslaved I will say something that will sound a bit off to some, but maybe not to others...

Where this used to bother me, it now gives me a sense of pride to be a product of....

Such resilience...

There are people groups who have gone extinct under various means...

But... After such cruelty, I'm here because my ancestors endured it all...

I and many other I's like me, received the baton...

I am living proof that our their spirits live on through us all...

People can write what they will, claim what they will, but our truth is within our blood...

While these documentaries used to bother me, my vary existence, says but... and... They got us here, so, we CAN carry on...

Don't make their efforts be a

[AprilBockover-xwfn]

I am also appalled at how little my grandchildren are taught in school. They do not know who Hitler was. They have never heard of Helen Keller or George Washington Carver etc.

[msladybugbubbles]

I remember the first time I touched a cotton plant on a farm. It pricked my fingers and I cried so hard. I was only 4, maybe 5, it was the mid 1900’s, and that memory still is prevalent today. Being required to pluck that cotton from the thorny cap it grows from, makes these historical accounts more impacting. That plant hangs onto that small ball of cotton and it takes significant pull to remove it. It is multiple balls per plant, but each ball was small and grows out of a hard thorny cap. I can’t imagine how much cotton had to be supplied, demanding the sacrifice “picking and plucking cotton” demanded. You can be sure, their fingers bled and were in pain, until that is, callouses developed. ❤But I wonder if infections occurred and if it were treated or they were left to their own devices.

[lindabutler]

This is heartbreaking, I'm now glad we were poor, but even if my father had money, he would never treat another human being like this.