Images Presenting the Fair Working and Living Conditions of Slaves
The note shown above was originally commissioned by the Bank of Hamilton in Georgia. The vignette in the lower left corner displays a male slave directly facing the viewer, smiling as he holds an overflowing bale of cotton. His happiness gives off the impression that he is proud of his work, which leads the viewer to believe that will receive some sort of recognition and proportional compensation for his exceptional bounty. The man, moreover, carries the bale with ease, showing that he has completed an honest, but not excessive day's labor.
The note shown above was originally printed by the Central Rail Road and Banking Company of Georgia in the late 1850's. This note supports the ideas presented in the Bank of Hamilton note in its portrayal of a smiling, proud worker, who does not appear at all weary after completing his work. This note, however, presents a more comprehensive, though disingenuous, view of the fair treatment of slaves through the portrayal of the man wearing well fitting, handsome clothing with workman's boots and the inclusion of the two-story slave quarters in the background. These two features work together to offer evidence that slaves were given reasonable working and living provisions.
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