Black History Month 2025: Day 1 - Enslaved African Americans and Labor
Enslaved women and children picking cotton
Day 1: The Labor Contributions of Enslaved African Americans
As we kick off Black History Month 2025, we reflect on this year’s theme: African Americans and Labor. Throughout February, we will explore the profound impact of Black labor across history, from slavery to the present. Today, we begin with an essential foundation—examining the labor contributions of enslaved African Americans to agriculture, industry, and domestic work.
The Backbone of an Economy Built on Exploitation
From the colonial period through the Civil War, the forced labor of enslaved African Americans was the engine that powered the U.S. economy. While slavery is often associated with Southern plantations, enslaved people contributed to a wide range of industries and labor sectors. Their contributions laid the groundwork for American capitalism, yet their efforts were exploited, their rights denied, and their humanity disregarded.
Enslaved children picking cotton in South Carolina
Agriculture: Feeding and Financing a Nation
The agricultural economy of the American South was entirely dependent on enslaved labor. Enslaved men, women, and children cultivated cash crops like:
Cotton – The most lucrative crop, cotton production skyrocketed in the 19th century due to enslaved labor, particularly after the invention of the cotton gin. The profits from cotton fueled both the Southern economy and Northern industrialization.
Tobacco – Enslaved workers played a critical role in the labor-intensive process of growing and curing tobacco, which was a major export in the colonial period.
Rice & Sugar – Enslaved Africans with agricultural expertise from West Africa were instrumental in the development of rice and sugar plantations, particularly in South Carolina and Louisiana.
Beyond fieldwork, enslaved laborers built irrigation systems, tended livestock, and cleared vast tracts of land, shaping the agricultural landscape of the South.
African American Dock Workers Loading Steamboat in New Orleans
Industry: Skilled and Unrecognized Work
Though the image of slavery is often tied to plantations, enslaved African Americans also worked in industrial settings, particularly in Southern cities like Charleston, New Orleans, and Richmond. They were:
Blacksmiths, Carpenters, and Masons – Many enslaved workers were highly skilled artisans, creating tools, buildings, and infrastructure essential to urban development.
Shipbuilders and Dock Workers – Ports relied on enslaved labor for shipbuilding, repairs, and loading cargo, which facilitated both domestic trade and the transatlantic economy.
Factory and Mill Workers – Some enslaved individuals worked in textile mills, tobacco processing plants, and iron foundries, contributing to the industrial expansion of the 19th century.
Despite their expertise, enslaved workers were denied fair wages, credit for their work, and the ability to build wealth—contributions that, if acknowledged, would redefine early American industrial history.
Enslaved Nanny with Child (Photo by Alfred S. Campbell)
Domestic Work: Unseen, Unpaid, and Unappreciated
Within households, enslaved African Americans—predominantly women—performed critical domestic labor. They served as:
Cooks and Housekeepers – Responsible for preparing meals, cleaning homes, and maintaining plantations.
Nannies and Caregivers – Raising the children of enslavers while being separated from their own families.
Personal Attendants – Assisting with daily tasks, often working around the clock with little rest or autonomy.
Enslaved domestic workers endured psychological and physical abuse, living in close quarters with their enslavers while being stripped of personal agency. Their work allowed white families to live in comfort, yet their labor was invisible in historical narratives.
Honoring Their Legacy
The forced labor of enslaved African Americans was foundational to the wealth and development of the United States, yet their contributions remain largely unrecognized in mainstream history. Understanding their role in agriculture, industry, and domestic labor allows us to confront the lasting effects of slavery, from racial economic disparities to ongoing labor exploitation.
This Black History Month, we acknowledge the resilience, skill, and sacrifices of those who built this nation while being denied their own freedom. As we continue this series, we invite you to reflect on how African American labor has shaped history—and how its legacy continues today.
Join the Conversation
What are your thoughts on today’s topic? Share your reflections using #BHM2025 and let’s continue the dialogue on the history and impact of Black labor.
Stay tuned for tomorrow’s discussion as we explore the labor struggles of African Americans during and after the Civil War.
References:
Berlin, Ira. "Many Thousands Gone: The First Two Centuries of Slavery in North America." Harvard University Press, 1998.
Genovese, Eugene D. "Roll, Jordan, Roll: The World the Slaves Made." Vintage Books, 1976.
Johnson, Walter. "River of Dark Dreams: Slavery and Empire in the Cotton Kingdom." Harvard University Press, 2013.
Morgan, Edmund S. "American Slavery, American Freedom: The Ordeal of Colonial Virginia." W.W. Norton & Company, 1975.
Berlin, Ira, et al. "Freedom: A Documentary History of Emancipation, 1861-1867." Cambridge University Press, 1985.
