Soak beans overnight. In the morning, drain and rinse the beans and then put them in the crock pot.
Toss in ham shanks or hocks and onion, and then cover with 2-3 inches of water. You want to have enough water to cook the beans, and if you like your beans soupy, more water is better.
Set the crock pot on high to have this cooked up in 4-6 hours, or low if you want to keep it on all day. The beans have already been soaked, so you definitely don't need to have it on high for the entire day.
About an hour before it's ready to serve, go ahead and add the salt and pepper to the beans and ham. Stir it up and let it finish cooking. Enjoy!
Notes
Store leftovers in the refrigerator and use within a couple days.