For most slaves, the most constant part of their lives was work. Slaves began heavy labor when they were quite young and generally continued to work until they died. There were many jobs on a plantation for the slave population. Some slaves were artisans or craftspeople: blacksmiths, carpenters, or draftsmen. Some spent most of their time in the master's house working as butlers, maids, or cooks. However, for the majority of slaves in the South, work meant spending time in the fields.

The exact work done by the field hands varied considerably by crop, by geography, and by the time of year. Of these variables, the specific crop planted was probably the most important. Southern planters grew nearly any kind of crop that they thought they could sell or use on the plantation. Zachary Taylor, for instance, a planter and general who later became president, grew corn, oats...