ROLES ON THE PLANTATION ON THE EVE OF THE CIVIL WAR
During the nineteenth century, Evergreen Plantation was like a small village. In many ways, it strove to be self- sufficient. It’s important to acknowledge the men and women who kept Evergreen Plantation running, both free and enslaved. Obviously the involuntary contributions of the enslaved deserve particular attention.
There remains to this day a misconception about slave labor on plantations. Many people think only of field hands and unskilled workers. Certainly they were the backbone of the enterprise. The cultivation of sugar was the main reason the plantation existed. Enslaved laborers who planted, hoed, weeded, dug irrigation, and ultimately harvested the cane were subject to grueling conditions and put in countless hours of work for which they received no compensation.
However, it is also important to recognize that many enslaved workers were highly skilled. Without them, the plantation could not have functioned.
The following is a snapshot of Evergreen Plantation in 1857. Lezin Becnel II, the owner, had died, and his sons Lezin III and Michel Alcide Becnel were his sole heirs. However, their father left the plantation under the management of his factor and agent, Benjamin Toledano. Though the plantation belonged to the Becnel Brothers, Toledano made the ultimate business decisions about the place. This was in large part due to the massive debt of $100,000 that the brothers inherited with the plantation. This is equivalent to approximately $3 million today. Sugar planters frequently incurred major debts due to the highly mechanized nature of the industry, the advances that were needed to begin the new year’s crop, and the failure of a harvest due to frost, hurricane, or flood.
The Process of Sugar Making
OWNERS
Lezin and Michel Alcide Becnel (brothers)
BUSINESS MANAGER
Benjamin Toledano, a factor/agent out of New Orleans
OVERSEER
Charles Baconnais, brother-in-law of Lezin Becnel II
COMMANDEUR
Also known as the driver, this was an enslaved man who acted as an overseer, monitoring the work in the fields.
Ransom
SUGAR MAKERS
An elite job given to the most highly skilled enslaved workers, sugar makers oversaw the refining of sugar in the mill and combined the possessed the skills of a scientist or chemist. Ultimately they were responsible for the crystallization of sugar, and the success or failure of a crop was in their hands.
Field
William Boone
Little Nelson
BLACKSMITHS
These enslaved men commanded the highest prices in the New Orleans slave market. They made the metal parts necessary for sugar production and agricultural work. Their skills were required to maintain wagon and cart parts, shod horses and mules, create pieces for shovels and other agricultural implements, and forge the latches and hinges that were required for the many buildings on site.
West
Smith
ENGINEERS
These men ran the sugar mill. They understand how to operate a steam engine and make the necessary repairs when parts broke. Their role was vital to the sugar industry’s success.
West
Black Alfred
COOKS
Plantation cooks prepared large meals every day for the family who lived in the big house as well the enslaved families who occupied the quarters. They juggled elaborate feasts with multiple courses alongside the more humble sustaining fare made on a large scale. They were responsible for feeding at least 110 people every day. The food they cooked formed the basis of what is now known as Creole cuisine.
Agathe
Eliza
Edouard
LAUNDRESSES
These women washed the many garments worn on the plantation. They had to know the proper method to launder the lace, linen, silk, elaborate dresses, and fine clothing in the big house as well as the simple, hardy fabrics used in the clothing of the enslaved population. Tablecloths, bedding, and towels all fell under their care.
Agathe
Marie
Isabella
COOPERS
Coopers held a very important position, for they constructed barrels, known as hogsheads, which were used to store sugar and ship it to New Orleans.
John Wright
Absalon
Henry White
CARPENTERS
Two men were responsible for carpentry at Evergreen, one a free white man who was a cousin of the owners and another an enslaved man sold down from the Upper South through the domestic slave trade. Carpenters provided crucial work without which the plantation could not operate. They maintained all the buildings, repaired wagons, carts, and plows, and were responsible for fencing, tools, and even furniture.
Amazon Becnel
Madison
COACHMAN & GROOM
In addition to caring for the horses, the coachman drove the Becnels around in their carriage and often wore livery.
Ben