Even before the Civil War, blacks in America were terribly stratified, in several different ways. And over time, it gets worse and worse.
The original distinction began almost at the moment of leaving Africa, since slaves were from almost exclusively northwestern tribes. So the first stratification was tribal. Then, slaves were divided into the more manageable slaves for America, and the troublesome slaves, who were sent, often to be worked to death, to French Haiti.
Prior to the invention of the cotton gin, slavery in America was solely in the domain of the upper classes. A young adult male slave would cost roughly $1M in today’s money. The majority of slaves were domestic servants, and often were intended for eventual emancipation.
This created a major subdivision among blacks. Slaves vs. Freemen. In some cities, such as New Orleans, a freed slave could be an entrepreneur, and there was a black district where they could own and operate businesses.
The next subdivision was among the various blends of black and white. Half black children were Mulatto, one quarter black children were Quadroon, and one eighth black children were Octoroon.
Free Quadroon women could become mistresses to white gentlemen, and as part of the deal live well in an apartment in the black district. Such partnerships were formed at the famous Quadroon ball, where Quadroon debutantes would meet wealthy young white men.
Any children from that pairing would become “bar sinister” members of the white man’s family, and were often sent North to become educated entrepreneurs, where being an Octoroon wouldn’t matter.
The divisions among blacks in America continued.
Thank you for sharing that. It’s sadly interesting. I had no idea.