Habitation is a term used since the early days of French colonization in America to designate, first and foremost, a permanent place of residence with a farm.
The term habitation is indisputably French, probably from provincial usage (Normandy), since it is found used wherever French settlement took place, before the genesis of Creole.
During the colonial period, the word Habitation was used to designate a vast landed estate, both economically, because of the farms, and socially, because it was the living quarters of the master and his slaves.
The Habitation was run by a master who ruled over his slaves, who worked in the estate's fields. The master lived in a house with his children and sometimes some servants.
Set back, in small wooden huts, lived the slaves and their families. A slave was the master's property. They owed him obedience and respect. While the men did most of the work in the master's fields, the women were responsible for domestic chores and raising the master's children.
When slaves had children, they automatically became the master's property. A slave could change Habitation. In fact, landowners exchanged slaves either for a sum of money, slave for slave, or slave for cattle.
Dans les colonies anglo-saxonnes, c'est le terme « plantation » qui était utilisé pour désigner une Habitation. Pour visiter une Habitation en Martinique, rendez vous à l'Habitation Clément ou encore l'Habitation Céron.
In the Anglo-Saxon colonies, the term “plantation” was used to designate a Habitation. To visit a Habitation in Martinique, go to Habitation Clément or Habitation Céron.