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1 Running Head: Exam 7 Slave Data Base

Exam 7 The Louisiana Slave Data Base Nadiyah Edwards SOWK 300 Tuskegee University April 21, 2012

Exam7 Pg.2 Figure 1

Figure one displays the recorded number of slaves that ran away or conspired to run away. There were those that ran away and were caught, those that helped others runaway as well as those that complained about running away. There was an overwhelming amount of missing responses in comparison to all the other categories. There were very few responses of slaves that ran away and no responses for any other category.

The large number of recorded data saying there was no response shows that slaves were apprehensive to reveal if they had runaway or helped anyone else runaway. Considering running away was a severe life threatening consequence more like a guaranteed death sentence most slaves would naturally be opposed to speaking about running away.

Figure 2

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Figure two shows the different recorded characteristics of slaves in the study. There was an overwhelming amount of recorded missing information. There were several different characteristics that were attempted to be measured. The many characteristics covered the slave in their entity from the physical to their personal habits.

Considering all the information was recorded as missing it seems as though there was a lack of information on the essential characteristics of who the slaves really were. However there were a few recorded good slaves. It could be possible that the listed characteristics didnt identify with the slaves in which the survey consisted of.

Figure 3

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Figure three displays the racial background of all the slaves surveyed for the study. There was a variation of races that slaves identified with. Amongst the slaves there were those that identified as: Grif (black and Indian) Black, Indian, Mulatto, Quadroon, Octoroon, Metis (White and Indian), other and those who did not specifically identify, identified as missing. The survey consists of 100,000 slaves. The largest group recorded was those that identified as Black. Those that did not specifically identify with a racial group had the second largest rates, with mulatto and grif having the third and fourth largest rates. Those that identified with quadroon and octoroon had the smallest rates of all the racial groups. Figure one shows that most slaves in the study were just considered black. Very little identifies as a mixed race. Through the breakdown of the many races it raises the question, how were the races of these individuals measured? Considering the large number of those that identified as missing and black, it can be perceived that there form of

Exam7 Pg.5 measuring race was motivated by skin color. It may have even been motivated by the small knowledge of certain slaves background.

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Figure 4

Figure four shows the native origin of all the slaves that participated in the study. There was a variation of nationalities in the study. There were Creoles, Africans, Caribbeans, Anglos, Indians, Others and those that did not specifically identify with any nationality. Of the different variations there was a large portion of those that did not specifically identify with any nationality.

The overwhelming amount of slaves in the study that were left unidentified ideally shows that there were many people who didnt know there nationalities. It can also show that it was a wider variety of nationalities and known descents than those recorded in the study. However, you can also conclude that outside of those that were not identified the second most known nationality of slaves were those of African descent. Due to the fact the study was done in Louisiana that can play huge role in larger numbers

Exam7 Pg.7 of those that identified with being Creole and Caribbean. Louisiana being near the coast and known for heavily populated with Creole Americans can very well the reason the results posed as such in the figure.

Exam7 Pg.8 Overall I can conclude that the study was very efficient in conveying an ideal perspective of the slave lifestyle. The survey in detail shows the many different aspects and perspectives of the slaves lifestyle. The four figures above covers the characteristics of slaves, their origin, those in which ran away or tried to runaway, and the variation of their races. Within the graphs it shows that there were a lot unknown or missing information. The missing information speaks volumes in the case of the recorded number of slaves that ran away or attempted to runaway. The large number of missing information not only says that slaves were not reported as runaways due to the many fears of revealing that knowledge but it also shows that for a long time slave count may not have been well kept. the large number of missing information when considering Race and Characteristics can also be due to lack of information. The information from this one study also raises the question what data may look like if done in other states. They data of this slave survey coincides with the common perception that most slaves were those of African Descent or Black Americans and that most slaves are unaware of their origin. The data shared from the study can produce a multitude of perceptions and my overall perception still rest in knowing that the slave trade and business largely varied and The Black race consists of more nationalities than most think.

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