▁“ that ▁was ▁incred ibly ▁high ▁on ▁the ▁two ▁islands ▁during ▁the ▁later ▁part ▁of ▁ 1 7 th ▁century ”. ▁As ▁the ▁clear ing ▁work ▁ne ared ▁completion , ▁plan ters ▁tried ▁to ▁combat ▁the ▁high ▁death ▁rate ▁by ▁initi ating ▁a ▁one - year ▁“ season ing ▁period ” ▁in ▁which ▁newly ▁arrived ▁slaves ▁were ▁super vised ▁by ▁older , ▁trust worth y ▁slaves . ▁By ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century ▁over ▁ 6 5 % ▁percent ▁of ▁the ▁islands ’ ▁slave ▁populations ▁were ▁native ▁born ▁and ▁slave ▁import ation ▁had ▁decre ased ▁to ▁fewer ▁than ▁ 1 0 0 ▁a ▁year . ▁ ▁There ▁is ▁little ▁recorded ▁information ▁about ▁the ▁family ▁structures ▁of ▁slaves ▁on ▁St . ▁K itt s ▁and ▁Ne vis , ▁but ▁slave ▁“ mar ri ages ” ▁appear ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁encourag ed ▁as ▁they ▁were ▁sometimes ▁recorded ▁by ▁plan ters . ▁Children ▁might ▁grow ▁up ▁partially ▁in ▁a ▁nuclear ▁family ▁situation , ▁but ▁were ▁social ized ▁as ▁a ▁group . ▁Or al ▁trad itions , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁An ans i ▁sp ider ▁from ▁West ▁Africa , ▁were ▁passed ▁down . ▁Ar ound ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 4 ▁or ▁ 5 ▁children ▁were ▁first ▁put ▁to ▁work , ▁generally ▁in ▁groups ▁called ▁a ▁“ h og me at ▁gang ”. ▁In ▁these ▁“ gang s ” ▁ 5 ▁or ▁ 6 ▁children ▁were ▁super vised ▁by ▁a ▁slave ▁woman ▁while ▁they ▁did ▁l ighter ▁work ▁such ▁as ▁we eding ▁and ▁feed