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Farmers without enslaved people were typically called free farmers or tenant farmers. These individuals would either own their land or rent it from a landlord in order to cultivate crops or raise livestock.
A farmer with no enslaved workers is called an independent or free farmer.
Enslaved Africans were important to farmers because they provided cheap labor for plantation work, such as planting and harvesting crops like cotton, tobacco, and sugar. Their forced labor contributed to the profitability of large agricultural operations in the Americas.
In slave people lived in many different ways the standard of living and lifestyle of enslaved people was dependent upon the slave owner. Many enslaved people had a very low standard of living while a few enslaved people lived quite well.
Enslaved people ran away to escape the brutal conditions of slavery, seek freedom, and reunite with their families. They risked severe punishment, including death, by attempting to escape.
Many enslaved people cope with the miserable conditions they faced by keeping family traditions alive.