In 1868, the state of Georgia began to make its rapidly growing population of prisoners available for hire.
This revealing history redefines the social context of Black women\'s lives and Labor in the New South and allows their stories to be told for the first time..
At the same time, female inmates struggled to resist physical and sexual exploitation and to preserve their human dignity within a hostile climate of terror.
Leflouria argues that African American women\'s presence within the Convict lease and chain-gang systems of Georgia helped to modernize the South by creating a new and dynamic set of skills for Black women.
Leflouria draws from a rich array of primary sources to piece together the stories of these women, recounting what they endured in Georgia\'s prison system and what their Labor accomplished.
In this vivid work of history, Talitha L.
The resulting Convict leasing system ensnared not only men but also African American women, who were forced to Labor in camps and factories to make profits for private investors.
In 1868, the state of Georgia began to make its rapidly growing population of prisoners available for hire
