Until 1865, millions of slaves worked on plantations and small farms throughout the southern United States. The most common image is of slaves forced into difficult labor on cotton or tobacco fields. However, some plantation slaves were proficient craftsmen, trained in metalworking, carpentry, or other specialized skills. Others were house servants, who cooked and cleaned for their white masters. This book will give readers a better understanding of the daily lives of plantation slaves, along with the oppression and challenges that they faced.