Marc Brueggemann
Dr. Horgan
HIST 153
19 September 2015
Primary Source assignment
Listen to the following slave spirituals. In a 5-paragraph essay, how do the messages of the songs reflect acts of rebellion against the institution of slavery?
These slave spirituals demonstrate belief in God and the temporariness of life on earth. These songs also illustrate the slaves desire to escape from slavery into freedom. These songs also reflect acts of rebellion against the institution of slavery, against slave masters and slave owners. These songs directly expressed the slaves desire to run away and into freedom, so they could belong to themselves and no longer be another person’s property. Running away demonstrated their rebellion against their …show more content…
But this song also contained a secret message to the slaves. It was a call for slaves to meet. The purpose of meeting was to organize to run away from slave masters or to begin an uprising against slavery. This song shared the idea of running away from the chains and oppressions of slavery. But it also gave hope about wishing for a better life beyond slavery and the plantation. So as a result this spiritual was a means of communicating and encouraging each other.
In another spiritual called Swing Low. This hope filled song continues the theme of slaves running away and focuses on a secret path to lead them into freedom. The lyrics of this spiritual talk about a group of heavenly guardians who are acting as the coordinators of moving the slaves out of slavery. A hidden, secret meaning in this song reveals the actions of this heavenly group of guardians as the Underground Railroad and the people who worked it. People who assisted with the Underground Railroad were called conductors. They would come down to the South and help
Page …show more content…
Some of these spirituals had secret, hidden communication in them. Others focused on illustrating the slaves desire to escape from slavery into freedom. All of these spirituals reflected a variety of acts of rebellion. In some it was encouragement just to cling to hope, to persevere and trust the promise of a loving God who would save them. Others focused on the act of running away out of slavery. This was a truly rebellious act and risked all, even life itself. In addition these songs helped the slaves survive the brutalities of slavery. They established coded messages to ensure some slaves escaped into the freedom of the North. These spirituals are amazing, creative, multi purpose communication boards in the battle against
Dr. Horgan
HIST 153
19 September 2015
Primary Source assignment
Listen to the following slave spirituals. In a 5-paragraph essay, how do the messages of the songs reflect acts of rebellion against the institution of slavery?
These slave spirituals demonstrate belief in God and the temporariness of life on earth. These songs also illustrate the slaves desire to escape from slavery into freedom. These songs also reflect acts of rebellion against the institution of slavery, against slave masters and slave owners. These songs directly expressed the slaves desire to run away and into freedom, so they could belong to themselves and no longer be another person’s property. Running away demonstrated their rebellion against their …show more content…
But this song also contained a secret message to the slaves. It was a call for slaves to meet. The purpose of meeting was to organize to run away from slave masters or to begin an uprising against slavery. This song shared the idea of running away from the chains and oppressions of slavery. But it also gave hope about wishing for a better life beyond slavery and the plantation. So as a result this spiritual was a means of communicating and encouraging each other.
In another spiritual called Swing Low. This hope filled song continues the theme of slaves running away and focuses on a secret path to lead them into freedom. The lyrics of this spiritual talk about a group of heavenly guardians who are acting as the coordinators of moving the slaves out of slavery. A hidden, secret meaning in this song reveals the actions of this heavenly group of guardians as the Underground Railroad and the people who worked it. People who assisted with the Underground Railroad were called conductors. They would come down to the South and help
Page …show more content…
Some of these spirituals had secret, hidden communication in them. Others focused on illustrating the slaves desire to escape from slavery into freedom. All of these spirituals reflected a variety of acts of rebellion. In some it was encouragement just to cling to hope, to persevere and trust the promise of a loving God who would save them. Others focused on the act of running away out of slavery. This was a truly rebellious act and risked all, even life itself. In addition these songs helped the slaves survive the brutalities of slavery. They established coded messages to ensure some slaves escaped into the freedom of the North. These spirituals are amazing, creative, multi purpose communication boards in the battle against