Why did slaves not know their birthdays?

Answer 1

Slaves often did not know their birthdays due to the systematic dehumanization and control imposed upon them by slave owners. Slave owners wanted to strip slaves of their individuality and sense of self, including their personal histories and identities. By denying slaves the knowledge of their birthdays, slave owners further reinforced their power and dominance over the enslaved population. Additionally, keeping slaves ignorant of their birthdays made it easier for owners to manipulate their age and labor without regard for their personal milestones or well-being.

Answer 2

Well, honey, back in the day, slave owners didn't really give a damn about their slaves' birthdays. They were too busy exploiting and dehumanizing them to bother keeping track of something as trivial as a birth date. So, most slaves were left in the dark about when they entered this world, just another way their humanity was stripped away.

Answer 3

Oh, dude, back in the day, slaves not knowing their birthdays wasn't some big mystery. It was just a messed up part of history where slave owners didn't bother keeping track of that stuff. Like, they were too busy being terrible human beings to bother writing down when someone was born. So yeah, it's not some deep, philosophical reason, just plain old neglect and cruelty.

Answer 4

During the time of slavery, the slave owners (especially plantation owners) kept meticulous ledgers recording the births, deaths, weddings, sales, etc. of their slaves. After the end of slavery, the slaves had no access to these records before they dispersed throughout the country. And since they had no calendars on which to mark these events, they had no way of knowing these dates for themselves.