Historically called “our peculiar institution” to dismiss the contradictions of legalized slavery and the freedoms outlined in the Declaration of Independence, slavery in the United States has a long, intricate history that must be studied to understand the broader history of America. Although many facets of slavery can be examined more closely to interpret the extensive effects it has had on American life, slave culture offers an insightful window into this complex story. The profound impact slave culture has had on African-Americans can not only be traced back to the institution of slavery but also to the slaves’ origins in Africa. While various forms of serious rebellion, such as running away and revolt, were less common, slaves in the
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Though the Atlantic Slave Trade began with the Portuguese capturing and transporting Africans to Brazil in the early 16th century, many European countries, primarily Portugal, England, and France, quickly followed suit (lecture). After being captured, whites forced Africans into cramped, unsanitary ships for months at a time to reach the New World. Olaudah Equiano, who endured the Middle Passage in the 18th century, wrote in his autobiography “The closeness of the place, and the heat of the climate, added to the number in the ship, which was so crowded that each had scarcely room to turn himself, almost suffocated us” (Equiano, “The Middle Passage,” 52). While the Middle Passage was an unimaginably painful journey, the hardships slaves endured at the hands of their masters once slaves arrived in the United Sates set the stage for the development of slave culture and the resistance characteristic of that …show more content…
Slaves knew that the consequences of disobeying their masters were severe, so they more often practiced subtle forms of rebellion, such as having secret meetings, faking illness to get out of work, or the practice of their culture itself (lecture). The most common form was theft or destroying their masters’ property (U.S.: A Narrative History, 255). Running away from their plantation was less common due to the distance slaves had to travel to reach the North. While the least common form of rebellion was revolt because “whites outnumber blacks, the government was much more powerful, and a majority of slaves were native-born and family life was stronger,” it was the ultimate form of resistance (U.S.: A Narrative History, 255). However, revolt still occurred, with the most famous being the 1831 slave rebellion led by Nat Turner. Turner was deeply religious and believed that God selected him to punish white people (U.S.: A Narrative History, 255). While Turner’s revolt was unsuccessful because he was captured and killed by white men after killing fifty-five people, he is seen as a symbol of black resistance by many people today (Baker,
Though the Atlantic Slave Trade began with the Portuguese capturing and transporting Africans to Brazil in the early 16th century, many European countries, primarily Portugal, England, and France, quickly followed suit (lecture). After being captured, whites forced Africans into cramped, unsanitary ships for months at a time to reach the New World. Olaudah Equiano, who endured the Middle Passage in the 18th century, wrote in his autobiography “The closeness of the place, and the heat of the climate, added to the number in the ship, which was so crowded that each had scarcely room to turn himself, almost suffocated us” (Equiano, “The Middle Passage,” 52). While the Middle Passage was an unimaginably painful journey, the hardships slaves endured at the hands of their masters once slaves arrived in the United Sates set the stage for the development of slave culture and the resistance characteristic of that …show more content…
Slaves knew that the consequences of disobeying their masters were severe, so they more often practiced subtle forms of rebellion, such as having secret meetings, faking illness to get out of work, or the practice of their culture itself (lecture). The most common form was theft or destroying their masters’ property (U.S.: A Narrative History, 255). Running away from their plantation was less common due to the distance slaves had to travel to reach the North. While the least common form of rebellion was revolt because “whites outnumber blacks, the government was much more powerful, and a majority of slaves were native-born and family life was stronger,” it was the ultimate form of resistance (U.S.: A Narrative History, 255). However, revolt still occurred, with the most famous being the 1831 slave rebellion led by Nat Turner. Turner was deeply religious and believed that God selected him to punish white people (U.S.: A Narrative History, 255). While Turner’s revolt was unsuccessful because he was captured and killed by white men after killing fifty-five people, he is seen as a symbol of black resistance by many people today (Baker,