Georgia Turpentine Camps: Convict Leasing in the Longleaf Pine Belt

Georgia leased Black convicts to turpentine operators across the coastal plain. Men worked year-round in isolated pine forests, denied shoes, food, and medical care. State inspectors documented whipping, torture, and murder. The 1895 Dade Coal Mine lease alone saw over 100 convict deaths from explosion and neglect. Georgia's convict lease revenue surpassed $350,000 by 1897.