This graphic shows the intentional layout of Oak Alley Plantation. The Big House was placed at the center of power, directly between the Alley of Oaks and the slave quarters. Enslaved people were housed in tightly packed rows of small cabins, arranged to create a narrow corridor that limited privacy and made constant surveillance easy. This design was not about convenience or beauty—it was about control. The close proximity ensured enslaved people were always within sight, reinforcing dominance, intimidation, and the daily reality of forced labor on a sugar plantation.
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