Gang system The gang system is a reference within slavery to a division of labor established on the plantation . It is the harsher of two main types of labor systems . The other form , known as the task system , was less harsh and allowed the slaves more autonomy than did the gang system . On the Caribbean sugar plantation , the gang system was the preferred form of labor because it was the most productive . It was also , however , extremely brutal . Under the gang system , enslaved people were divided into three subgroups based upon their physical capabilities . These groups labored , often from dawn until dusk , under the supervision of an overseer . They were constantly pushed to yield maximum production . It operated as a virtual assembly line of laborers . The strongest and most capable group would be the ones responsible for planting and harvesting the cane . The next group was often responsible for weeding and hand fertilizing the crops using dung . The last group , often comprised of the very old or very young , completed remaining basic tasks , including ridding field of rats and running errands . Because the fields were planted in successive rotation , once the gang had completed their work on one field it was time to move to the next one . This allowed no time for the field gangs to tend to their own needs . This underscored the severity of this system . This human rights -related article is a stub . You can help Wikipedia by expanding it . Categories : Slavery | Systems | Human rights stubs 