Introduction
Everyone has a goal or a mission in life that they want to achieve. There are various ways that these goals can be thwarted. However, these goals can be achieved if one is resistant. Resistance has been demonstrated in a number of ways throughout history and an important time that resistance was demonstrated was during slavery in the Caribbean. Some forms of resistance that the slaves use are running away, destroying property, malingering, thieving, murdering and committing suicide. Although, these methods were effective, revolution was the most successful, especially during the Haitian Revolution.
Slavery in the Caribbean The beginning of slavery can be traced back from the late fifteen century to the sixteen century, when Columbus …show more content…
The working conditions were very harsh for the slaves because they had no free time; they were forced to work long hours without any rest. They could not refuse to work and if they do and disobey their slave owners, they would get punished severely by getting whipped. This made the Africans feel inferior because the whites were seen as superior to them. As a result, African cultural practices were degraded. This cruelty was too much for the African to bear. Therefore, they resist slavery by runaway individually and in small groups (Martin, p. 118). Although slaves were hunted by the slave owner’s dog and were captured, many were successful in escaping. After escaping, they would joining permanent communities and call themselves Maroons. They had no plans to return and were never caught. Maroon communities settled in many parts of the Caribbean during slavery. These communities are considered an important part of the African cultural tradition, including music, religious beliefs and language. Also, the African adapted political institutions to provide a means of establishing effective means of government. By doing this, they gained their freedom and no longer had to worry about being someone else’s …show more content…
Slaves would deliberately work slower and pretend that they were ill. Laziness and tiredness were the main reason why slaves malingered. Those who were caught malingering were punished without giving any remorse. Destruction of property was a next form of resistance. Many slaves would destroy crops and plantations in order to get back at their owners. Also, they would embezzle vegetables, livestock, tobacco, and money from their masters. They saw that thieving was nothing and that it is no crime because after all, they are the ones who produced the products that their slave owners used (Martin, p.119). Additionally, they would murder their slave owner by poisoning them. According to Martin, the Africans would carry poison "under their nails, and by only dipping their thumbs into a tumbler of water, which they offer as a beverage to the object of their revenge" (Caribbean History, 2012, p. 119). By poisoning their owners, the slaves kill their owners or they would sometimes let them suffer before they actually die due to the poison. Also, they would poison the animals that their slave owners owned as well as torturing them in order to resist slavery. For example, there was an account in where was a horse, whose belly was ripped open and its guts was hanging out (Martin, p. 119). The last form of resistance was committing suicide in order to escape the torment that they endure by their slave
Everyone has a goal or a mission in life that they want to achieve. There are various ways that these goals can be thwarted. However, these goals can be achieved if one is resistant. Resistance has been demonstrated in a number of ways throughout history and an important time that resistance was demonstrated was during slavery in the Caribbean. Some forms of resistance that the slaves use are running away, destroying property, malingering, thieving, murdering and committing suicide. Although, these methods were effective, revolution was the most successful, especially during the Haitian Revolution.
Slavery in the Caribbean The beginning of slavery can be traced back from the late fifteen century to the sixteen century, when Columbus …show more content…
The working conditions were very harsh for the slaves because they had no free time; they were forced to work long hours without any rest. They could not refuse to work and if they do and disobey their slave owners, they would get punished severely by getting whipped. This made the Africans feel inferior because the whites were seen as superior to them. As a result, African cultural practices were degraded. This cruelty was too much for the African to bear. Therefore, they resist slavery by runaway individually and in small groups (Martin, p. 118). Although slaves were hunted by the slave owner’s dog and were captured, many were successful in escaping. After escaping, they would joining permanent communities and call themselves Maroons. They had no plans to return and were never caught. Maroon communities settled in many parts of the Caribbean during slavery. These communities are considered an important part of the African cultural tradition, including music, religious beliefs and language. Also, the African adapted political institutions to provide a means of establishing effective means of government. By doing this, they gained their freedom and no longer had to worry about being someone else’s …show more content…
Slaves would deliberately work slower and pretend that they were ill. Laziness and tiredness were the main reason why slaves malingered. Those who were caught malingering were punished without giving any remorse. Destruction of property was a next form of resistance. Many slaves would destroy crops and plantations in order to get back at their owners. Also, they would embezzle vegetables, livestock, tobacco, and money from their masters. They saw that thieving was nothing and that it is no crime because after all, they are the ones who produced the products that their slave owners used (Martin, p.119). Additionally, they would murder their slave owner by poisoning them. According to Martin, the Africans would carry poison "under their nails, and by only dipping their thumbs into a tumbler of water, which they offer as a beverage to the object of their revenge" (Caribbean History, 2012, p. 119). By poisoning their owners, the slaves kill their owners or they would sometimes let them suffer before they actually die due to the poison. Also, they would poison the animals that their slave owners owned as well as torturing them in order to resist slavery. For example, there was an account in where was a horse, whose belly was ripped open and its guts was hanging out (Martin, p. 119). The last form of resistance was committing suicide in order to escape the torment that they endure by their slave