Changes

The slaves for the most part were treated brutally.  Born in bondage, a slave usually began his first work in the fields at the age of twelve.  They would work in the fields from the light of day until, in the words of a Louisiana slave, "until it is too dark to see, and when the moon is full, they often labor until the middle of the night" (TL, pg 48).  They were fed and clothed poorly, usually in rags; shoes were uncommon.  Disease was rampant; four out of 100 lived past age 60.  And they were required to absolute respect to a white.  Punishment for infractions was severe, involving stocks, pronged neck collars, and whippings where salt water was used to clear infection, with the result of pain so excruciating a slave recollecting it wrote "the flesh crawls upon my bones" (TL 1, pp 49-58)

The slaves for the most part were treated brutally.  Born in bondage, a slave usually began his first work in the fields at the age of twelve.  They would work in the fields from the light of day until, in the words of a Louisiana slave, "until it is too dark to see, and when the moon is full, they often labor until the middle of the night" (TL, pg 48).  They were fed and clothed poorly, usually in rags; shoes were uncommon.  Disease was rampant; four out of 100 lived past age 60.  And they were required to absolute respect to a white.  Punishment for infractions was severe, involving stocks, pronged neck collars, and whippings where salt water was used to clear infection, with the result of pain so excruciating a slave recollecting it wrote "the flesh crawls upon my bones" (TL 1, pp 49-58)

Eli Whitney patented his cotton gin in 1793.  Prior to that, slaves were harvesting cotton, pulling the seed from the boll, and packing by hand for market at a rate of 100 bales a week.  The gin did the hard work of separating the boll, enabling bales of cotton at a rate of over 1000 a week, often more.  The result was the number of annual cotton harvests increased to three, which saw a concurrent rise in profits made by plantation owners; the number of slaves needed for the fields increased as well, climbing from 300,000 in 1790 to over three million by 1860.

Eli Whitney patented his cotton gin in 1793.  Prior to that, slaves were harvesting cotton, pulling the seed from the boll, and packing by hand for market at a rate of 100 bales a week.  The gin did the hard work of separating the boll, enabling bales of cotton at a rate of over 1000 a week, often more.  The result was the number of annual cotton harvests increased to three, which saw a concurrent rise in profits made by plantation owners; the number of slaves needed for the fields and other tasks increased as well, climbing from 300,000 in 1790 to over three million by 1860.

===Political machinations and compromises===

===Political machinations and compromises===