How Did The Plantation Mistress Have

The Plantation Mistress by Catherine Clinton is a historical non-fiction book which details the lives and the daily struggles of the white women of the planter class as it existed during the antebellum era in the southern United States. Through the use of historical records and diary entries of the women themselves, Ms. Clinton clearly documents that the lives of the Plantation Mistresses were remarkably different and significantly more difficult than what is that of Scarlett O’Hara and her family. Furthermore, the expectations of the white females of the time were not that of the pampered southern bell who was indulged and spoiled by her husband and whose every need was tended to by slaves. In fact, the women of the time were in only a
Now it is time to discuss what the Plantation mistress did have. They had a great deal of responsibility to the point that it was overwhelming. The plantation mistress was the foreman of all things on the plantation that were not used to produce cash for the plantation. She was in charge of all food production, which included the gardening and the animals used in the production of food, smokehouses, slaughterhouses, soap making, candle making, spinning yarn and material and making clothes for everyone on the plantation. For anything that was locked, the plantation mistress had the key. Clinton notes that “The plantation mistress held the keys as the symbol of her domain.” P. 7. The plantation mistress was responsible for tending to anyone on the plantation who got ill. The plantation mistress was responsible for the upbringing of her children as the planter rarely took an interest in them until they got older. The plantation mistress was responsible for the religious education of the occupants of the plantation. In the absence of her husband, the plantation mistress was also responsible for the planting, tending, and sale of the cash