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Fictive Kin.American slaves were
considered property and could not legally
marry.Therefore,having a permanent
family was not a guaranteed part of a
slave’s life.Couples frequently lived on
different plantations and could see each
other only with the permission of the
husband’s master.Children usually
resided with their mothers,but mothers
could not protect their children from
being sold to another plantation owner
(Redefining Family,2005).
Over time,an extended kin network
of blood relatives and non-blood
relatives,calledfictive kin,took in and
cared for children who were separated
from their parents.In this way,slave
culture taught young people they were
members of a broader community in
which all slaves,whether related or not,
had mutual obligations.The Christmas
holiday was frequently the only holiday
slaves were allowed to observe.Thus,it
was an eagerly awaited time to reunite
with separated family members.Even
though the familial bond under slavery
was fragile,enslaved men and women
considered themselves married.They
recognized kin by using kin names for
their children rather than that of their
master,which was customary.They also
cared for their elderly and other relatives.
Despite these difficulties,most slaves
managed to create strong unions over long
periods of time.The strength of the slave
family is evident in the advertisements

slave owners posted for runaway slaves.

These advertisements revealed that one of

the major reasons slaves fled their masters’

plantations was to visit family members

(Cayton,Gorn,&Williams,1993).

Cultural Interconnection.The close

proximity of living conditions among

masters and their slaves increased the

influence of white and black families upon

one another.Children of both races

frequently played together until the white

children reached the age of formal

education,which was around 10 years of

age.Young black girls frequently provided

much of the childcare for white families.

Sometimes the interconnection between

black and white families was a matter of

blood.Although laws forbade marriage

between blacks and whites,interracial

unions existed.Some were the result of the

absolute authority masters had over

powerless slaves,and some were the result

The Changing Face of theAmerican Family: Early History

The American Revolution (1775–1783) marked the end of

British rule and the birth of the United States of America.

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