American Slave History

Slavery was a dark period in history. It was a time that many people feel uncomfortable talking about because it evoke a lot of sadness, coldness, and even a bit of anger. In our class, When Black Lives Matter, we have read many narratives including but not limited to: Narrative of Fredrick Douglass, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, The Confessions of Nat Turner, Steven Hahn: A Nation Under Our Feet, and we have even watched a very popular film, Twelve Years a Slave, an heart-felt drama starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, as the main character, Solomon Northup. During the period of slavery, slave revolts were very rare, even under the harsh conditions that they sometimes were exposed to such as beatings, lynchings, rapings, and often times, the …show more content…
Beal Bondly. At this trespass, Mr. Bondly took offence, and with his musket came down to the shore, and blew its deadly contents into the poor old man” . Often times, when a slave disobeyed orders or a command, they were sometimes tortured and left on display for other slaves to see. Circumstances for slaves were very immoral, but their situations became crueler for those that had ever attempted to run away and never made it to the North before being captured and returned to their owner. Jacobs describes the consequences that followed one of her fellow plantation workers failed escape attempts. Jacobs writes, “Some weeks after his escape, he was captured, tied, and carried back to his master's plantation. This man considered punishment in his jail, on bread and water, after receiving hundreds of lashes, too mild for the poor slave's offence. Therefore he decided, after the overseer should have whipped him to his satisfaction, to have him placed between the screws of the cotton gin, to stay as long as he had been in the woods. This wretched creature was cut with the whip from his head to his feet, and then washed with strong brine, to prevent the flesh from mortifying, and …show more content…
“…And if their increase do no other good, it will do away the force of the argument, that God cursed Ham, and therefore American slavery is right” . Slave masters often read parts of the bible to slaves and used various interpretations of the Holy word in order keep slaves from revolting. “Most earnestly did she strive to make us feel that it was the will of God: that He had seen fit to place us under such circumstances; and though it seemed hard, we ought to pray for contentment” . Slaves used the bible as away to find peace. They were often told that if they went against what God had said in the bible then further punishment would follow. Often, slaves found their own hopefulness within the bible. Many slaves were firm believers that with patience and faith, God will see them through their troubled times. Even when slaves had begun to lose hope their fellow family members or plantation quickly reminded them that their suffering was only temporary. Douglass recalls, “I date the entertainment of a deep conviction that slavery would not always be able to hold me within its foul embrace; and in the darkest hours of my career in slavery, this living word of faith and spirit of hope departed not from me, but remained like ministering angels to cheer me through the gloom. This good spirit was from God, and to him I offer thanksgiving and praise” . Frequently, the slaves would come together to hold