Sastra, Pendidikan Karakter dan Industri Kreatif Surakarta, 31 Maret 2015
45
ISBN: 978-602-361-004-4
1. Practices of the Hegemonic Culture in Southern States
a. Stigma
As explained before that hegemony is a theoretic framework to describe a process
of creating, maintaining and reproducing meanings and authoritarian practices. In
relation to this, the white people with their spirit of the white supremacy, labelled the
slave as animal like cattle. By so doing, they could treat their slaves as they liked in
their plantation. They could hit, beat, torture and many other violence. They did so in
order that their slaves worked effectively and efficiently in their plantation and at the
end their plantation could give more profit to the owners.
b. Slave Codes as Manifestation of the Hegemonic Culture
Slave Codes were the law that ruled the status and the position of the slaves and the
owner’s rights. The law gave the owner more an absolute authority over their slaves.
In addition to this, the codes had a function to manage the relation between salves and
the owners and also supported the slavery systems in the framework of controlling the
slaves as their properties. Beside that, the codes were made for controlling and
anticipating the rebellion of the slaves. Generally the codes had a similarity and
however every state had a specific slave code which was adapted with those states.
Some instances of the general slave codes was that the slaves were not allowed to
have weapon, to leave the plantation without permission, to rise their hands when
being investigated by the white people. In general, the slave codes produced the rules
in effect structurally, systematically and massively in Southern states. Thus the slave
codes were hegemonic.
1 The Slave Codes in South Carolina South Carolina had implemented the slave
codes since 1712 with the rules as follows.
a Slaves were forbidden to leave the owners property unless they obtained
permission or were accompanied by a white person.
b Any slave attempting to run away and leave the colony received the death
penalty. c Any slave who evaded capture for 20
days or more was to be publicly whipped for the first offense; branded with the
letter R on the right cheek for the second offense; lose one ear if absent for 30
days for the third offense; and castrated for the fourth offense.
d Owners refusing to abide by the slave code were fined and forfeited ownership
of their slaves. e Slave homes were searched every two
weeks for weapons or stolen goods. Punishment for violations included loss
of ears, branding, nose-slitting and death.
f No slave was allowed to work for pay, or to plant corn, peas or rice; or to keep hogs,
cattle, or horses; or to own or operate a boat; to buy or sell or wear clothes finer
than Negro cloth.
2 The Slave Codes in Virginia In Virginia sate, the slave codes which were
in force were different from the one in South Carolina. The slave codes in
Virginia had been revised in 1738 with the amendment as follows.
Sastra, Pendidikan Karakter dan Industri Kreatif Surakarta, 31 Maret 2015
46
ISBN: 978-602-361-004-4 a No slave could be taught to write, work
on Sunday or work more than 15 hours per day in summer, and 14 hours in
winter. b Willful killing of a slave exacted a fine
of 700 pounds, and passion killing 350 pounds.
c The fine for concealing runaway slaves was 1,000 and a prison sentence of up
to one year. d A fine of 100 and six months in prison
was imposed for employing any black or slave as a clerk, for selling or giving
alcoholic beverages to slaves, and for teaching a slave to read and write.
e Freeing a slave was forbidden, except by deed, and after 1820 only by permission
of the legislature.
c. The Hegemonic Culture at the Civil War Era
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