Plantation Duties

Slaves did the hard labor on the plantation. The planter families had other responsibilities. The planter saw that the crops were planted, harvested, stored, and shipped. He keep records in order to run the plantation like a successful business.

The planter's wife had the same responsibilities as other colonial women.

She ran the household. She also supervised the care of the plantation's servants and slaves. Sometimes these workers numbered in the hundreds. It was up to her to see that these people had food, clothing and medical care.

There were few schools in the southern colonies because people lived so far apart. Large plantations had their own small schools. The planter's children were taught basic reading and writing. Planters often hired teachers from Europe to teach their children. When children were about 12 or 13 years old, they attended special town schools. After that, boys often went to
college in Britain

or in the colonies.

The planter's daughters were taught basic reading and math skills, and how to take care of a plantation household. By age 12 or 13, girls stopped going to school.

There were no schools for servants or African slaves. Special laws in the

colonies outlawed slaves from being taught to read and write. By the age of
ten, most African slaves were working with the adults on the plantation.