The Plantation System: A Total Institution

The habitation (plantation) was more than an economic unit—it was a total institution designed to control every aspect of enslaved people's lives. Yet within this system of domination, enslaved peoples created spaces of humanity, resistance, and culture.

"My ancestor Marie-Joseph was enslaved on Habitation Clément in Martinique," shares Jocelyne Clément, a descendant who now works as a guide at the restored plantation. "The records list her as property, valued at 2,000 francs. But family oral history tells of a woman who was a healer, who helped other enslaved women give birth, who kept African spiritual practices alive. The plantation tried to reduce her to a commodity, but she remained fully human."

Daily Resistance

Resistance took many forms beyond armed rebellion: - Work slowdowns and tool breaking - Preservation of African languages and customs - Creation of provision grounds where enslaved people grew their own food - Development of Creole as a language of solidarity - Maintenance of spiritual practices despite Catholic conversion efforts - Poison as a weapon against enslavers (leading to paranoid legislation against "poisoners")