Could I Have Bought Female Slaves for My Own Private Harem in 1800s America?

During the 19th century, particularly in the antebellum South, slave ownership and its associated practices often involved significant sexual exploitation. This complex issue encompassed the acquisition and use of female slaves as sexual companions, a practice that was not uncommon among wealthy individuals, especially in regions with strong Latin cultural influences.

Buying Slaves for Sexual Purposes

It was indeed possible to purchase female slaves for sexual purposes, but such an act required considerable financial means. For instance, in the Gulf Coast of the Deep South, particularly around New Orleans, affluent white men could take part in the annual Quadroon’s Ball. This event was a showcase for enslaved women who were part black and part white, known as quadroons, aged between 16 and 21. These women were displayed to potential rich men as ‘kept women.’ However, the high cost and socially complex nature of owning such a slave made it an extravagant and exclusive affair.

The Practice of Pla?age

The practice of Pla?age, a term derived from the French word place, refers to a system where wealthy white men maintained long-term relationships with enslaved women, often providing them with a certain standard of living and, in some cases, a path to freedom. This practice was more common in parts of the South with significant Latin influence, such as New Orleans, where there was a blend of Creole and Anglo-Saxon cultures.

Sexual Exploitation Beyond Slavery

Sexual exploitation during the 19th century was not limited to enslaved women. Historical records and contemporary accounts indicate that slave owners often engaged in sexual relations with the women they owned, sometimes even impregnating them. However, conducting such actions openly would have been socially and religiously inappropriate. Thus, such behavior was often conducted in secrecy.

Source of Information: Slaves in the Family

To gain a deeper understanding of this historical issue, I recently read the book Slaves in the Family by Edward Ball. The Ball family, originating from South Carolina, owned plantations that were among the oldest and longest-standing in the South. They primarily grew rice and later cotton. Between 1698 and 1865, about four thousand black people were born into slavery under the Balls or acquired by them. The book details Ball’s efforts to trace and connect with the descendants of his family’s slaves, many of whom were also offspring of mixed-race couples involving members of the Ball family.

Although female slaves were not initially brought for the purpose of sexual exploitation, many were pressurized into becoming the mistresses of the plantation owners. The only factor preventing a white master from maintaining a private harem of enslaved women was the disapproval of their family and neighbors, particularly if the master was unmarried. Some slave owners acknowledged and supported their mixed-race children, while others did not.

The practices described indicate the deeply ingrained and morally problematic nature of slavery during this period. The sexual exploitation of enslaved women was a prevalent aspect of the socio-economic structure of the antebellum South, perpetuating both economic and social inequalities through generations.