ABSTRACT
One of the locations where most of the work, interaction, play, discipline, and other activities occurred between master and slave in Little Dixie was on the family farm. The family farm played a vital role in the lives of both the owners and the slaves because it helped define and maintain cultural values and beliefs. During the antebellum period, the family farm was a social and educational enterprise. The educative elements of the small farm helped shape the cultural identity of Little Dixie. Patterns of behavior that were partially transported from Kentucky and Virginia and partially established locally were being defined and transmitted as the family farm expanded and as subsequent generations of slaves and masters interacted. Indeed, masters depended upon their slaves to perform many of the tasks required to make the farm profitable; however, the interaction between masters and slaves on the farms and plantations in Little Dixie developed a relationship between the two that transmitted values and culture across generations.
