A look at the ‘love’ affairs between enslaved black men and rich white women
Prudence, modesty and restraint were expected of a white Southern woman. These were to make up for the believed inferiority in their intellectual capacity.
The idea that a white woman needed to be spatially and physically protected was why an enslaved black man could lose his life if found in an intimate relationship with her.
As with human nature, the fear of death never quite stopped some from living dangerously. In this case, a white woman, with not much to lose if found out, would most likely initiate the affair.
