Who were the overseers and what was the nature of their work? How important were they to the Slave System?

Answer 1

Overseers did exactly what their name implies. They looked after the slave workers, sometimes called "slave drivers." Often slave overseers were also slaves, perhaps older slaves who knew how to do the work but became physically unable. However, in far too many cases, overseers became power hungry and used their position of control to manipulate their fellow slaves. Given the power to discipline lazy or slow slaves, the overseers often used their position as an excuse to be overly brutal to their fellow slaves.

Hope this helps. Good luck!

Answer 2

Overseers were pretty much what the name sounds like -- they "oversaw" what the slaves were doing. They made sure the slaves did what they were supposed to do, and punished them (usually by beating or whipping) when they did not.

Try here:
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USASoverseers.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_slavery_in_the_United_States
http://memory.loc.gov/learn/features/timeline/expref/slavery/slavery.html