Slave baby pacifier

Giclee canvas print, size 37.5″ x 34″, original oil painting is available Click Here

Slave’s baby pacifier – There have been hundreds of inventions that slaves incorporated for everyday survival, Mothers that had to go back to the field with a newborn baby employed a handed-down lesson about creating a baby pacifier. The mother would get a piece of salt pork and of string measured out to the length of her baby’s body. She then put this string through a small portion of salt pork and tied it. And at the other end of the string tie it to the baby’s big toe.  and then feed the tiny piece of salt pork into the baby’s mouth and set the child in a basket of cotton. Then go to work in the field as the baby sucks on the salt pork it will dissolve and as all babies do, they will attempt to swallow it. This can result in the baby choking, but there is an instinct in all newborn babies under stress. They will stretch out their body to full length and the string will yank out the piece of salt pork enlarged in the baby’s throat. which saves the child’s life.