ABSTRACT
The conflicts of power on the plantation could not always be contained and friction between planter, overseer, and the enslaved sometimes led to brutal punishments, overseer dismissals, and, on occasion, physical confrontations. For slaves, the cruelties inflicted by their overseers were often barbaric and, sometimes, fatal. As one planter pointed out, if he pleased, the overseer could act like a “Tyrant of some Antiquith Isle,” which left slaves vulnerable to extreme abuse. The violence and inhumanity of slavery are inescapable. In colonial America, as in other slave societies, the use of brutality and the threat of the whip and other punishments were routine parts of slave discipline intended to extract labour and obedience. Inappropriate relationships, rape, and “partiality” were a symptom of bad management too. These ranged from trading with the enslaved to socialising and entering sexual relationships with them.
