This image shows convicts and a guard. While the 13th Amendment abolished slavery, there was an exemption found to fill the labor shortage in the southern states after the war. [1] This system was the prison convict lease system. [1] This system heavily affected African Americans and justice involved individuals were often convicted of petty crimes, such as walking on grass, vagrancy, and stealing food. [1] Even those who were declared innocent, were placed in this system if they could not pay their court fees. [1] Companies and individuals paid leasing fees to state, county, and local governments in exchange for the labor of prisoners in farms, mines, lumber yards, brick yards, manufacturing facilities, factories, railroads, and road construction. [1] | Source: [1] Terrell, Ellen. 2021. “The Convict Leasing System: Slavery in Its Worst Aspects.” Blogs.loc.gov. Library of Congress. June 17, 2021. https://blogs.loc.gov/inside_adams/2021/06/convict-leasing-system/.Download Original File
Source
[1] Terrell, Ellen. 2021. “The Convict Leasing System: Slavery in Its Worst Aspects.” Blogs.loc.gov. Library of Congress. June 17, 2021. https://blogs.loc.gov/inside_adams/2021/06/convict-leasing-system/.
"Convicts and a guard at a lease convict camp" appears in: Thomas J Goree
