In the era, “spare the rod, spoil the child” was considered good advice. If that’s how even loved ones were treated … slaves treated well? Press X to doubt.
There’s actually a lot of scholarship about how Southern plantation owners developed their child rearing philosophy on a misunderstanding of the Roman patriarchy combined with their newfangled “scientific racism,” conflating the discipline expected for both children and slaves.
In the era, “spare the rod, spoil the child” was considered good advice. If that’s how even loved ones were treated … slaves treated well? Press X to doubt.
Yeah, think about how many men already get drunk and beat the shit out of their wives. The person they supposedly love the most.
Now imagine if they had a slave to take it out on instead.
There’s actually a lot of scholarship about how Southern plantation owners developed their child rearing philosophy on a misunderstanding of the Roman patriarchy combined with their newfangled “scientific racism,” conflating the discipline expected for both children and slaves.
All embedded in the modern slang ‘boy’.