There is no stereotypical answer that covers all cases over all times during which the peculiar institution existed in the Americas, or Europe, or on the high seas for that matter. So a forum such as this or any other news group or chat site cannot be adequate to the task - you are apt to be as little or even less informed by you effort as you are already. To educate yourself on the matter, both online non-fiction as well as library book reading would be the best and most direct course to take. Give yourself weeks at minimum, not minutes. Also there is much insight to be gleaned from genealogical research, perhaps even your own family. Also perusal of newspapers from the period.