Throughout the French, British, and Spanish colonial periods of the 18th century, plantations were established in the
northern Gulf Coast region, from New Orleans to northwest Florida. Colonial plantations ranged from concessions of a
few hundred to thousands of acres although only a small percent was improved and cultivated. Colonial plantation homes
and support buildings were small, usually made of wooden posts set vertically in trenches, and typically French in character.
Enslaved Indians and Africans labored under the watch of overseers since the owners usually lived in town and only stayed
at their plantations during growing and harvesting seasons.
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The enslavement of Indians was practiced among native groups, and from the beginning of the colonial period, Indian slaves
became part of the European colonial economy. In 1708 about 80 Indian slaves labored in the few Mobile Bay settlements.
By 1726 this number had increased to 110, but a few years later, it had declined to 37 Indian slaves. A few black slaves
were in the French colony prior to the first slave ships arriving at Dauphin Island in June 1719 with 450 enslaved Africans.
Over the next 15 years, approximately 7,000 African slaves were shipped to French Louisiana. Slaves were involved with most
economic activities on colonial plantations, primarily agricultural and livestock tending, and skills such as blacksmithing
and brickmaking.
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