It really depends on the slave owner during that era. Some slaves were treated badly there is no doubt about that but you must also remember that there is always two sides to a coin.  Not all slave owners were horrible to the slaves. In fact at one point when the slaves were freed some actually stayed with there owners and became crop sharers. Continuing to do what they were doing prior to being freed. \n\nI live in the south and am very proud to be southern. I never owned a slave nor did any member of my ancestors in fact my grandmother worked along side the coloreds in the cotton fields less than 50 years ago.