According to historian Betty White, “[the] ethnic origins [of African slaves] varied both regionally and over time, but there were some broad patterns that would make possible both the survival and the blending of their different cultural backgrounds and experiences.” As the native labor source in colonial America began to dwindle, plantations owners sought to find more steady, reliable sources of work to produce larger cash crop yields. As a result, the transatlantic slave trade rapidly grew as African slaves seemed to become the most economically beneficial labor source. The system of the transatlantic slave trade had to develop and became more complex as slaves became most West African region’s primary export. More regions of Africa became
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In order to understand how these slaves were able to carry out one of the largest and costliest rebellions in American history, historian John K. Thornton claims that the pasts of these slaves should be considered. He found that there is a high probability that the South Carolina slaves involved in the Stono Rebellion were from a particular African region: the kingdom of Kongo, which is in modern Angola. If these slaves had previously been Kongolese, according to Thornton, they would have been influenced by the Catholic Portuguese and would have considered themselves Christians, with “the elite carefully maintained chapels and sent their children to schools, and the ordinary people learned their prayers and hymns.” Because of these practices, Thornton suggests that it can be inferred that the Kongolese were a literate people capable of understanding and communicating with a common language. The ability among the slaves who came from the same region to effectively communicate most likely played an integral role in the overall organization of the rebellion. Also if the rebellious slaves were Catholics, one can understand why they were heading south towards Spanish Florida, which was also …show more content…
Thornton claims, “Considering that many slaves were first captured in wars, it is reasonable to assume that some of the rebels had been soldiers.” In the decades prior to the Stono Rebellions, there were numerous civil wars in the Kongolese region of Africa. Therefore, it can be inferred that the slaves fighting the Stono rebellion might have already had military experience via the African civil wars. Also, based on account of the Stono rebellion, the rebelling slaves that were able to successfully steal and use weaponry against their opponents, causing destruction and killing colonists. Because of their previously acquired communication skills and military experience, the slaves involved in the Stono Rebellion of 1739 were able to execute of the largest, most expensive slave rebellions in U.S.
In order to understand how these slaves were able to carry out one of the largest and costliest rebellions in American history, historian John K. Thornton claims that the pasts of these slaves should be considered. He found that there is a high probability that the South Carolina slaves involved in the Stono Rebellion were from a particular African region: the kingdom of Kongo, which is in modern Angola. If these slaves had previously been Kongolese, according to Thornton, they would have been influenced by the Catholic Portuguese and would have considered themselves Christians, with “the elite carefully maintained chapels and sent their children to schools, and the ordinary people learned their prayers and hymns.” Because of these practices, Thornton suggests that it can be inferred that the Kongolese were a literate people capable of understanding and communicating with a common language. The ability among the slaves who came from the same region to effectively communicate most likely played an integral role in the overall organization of the rebellion. Also if the rebellious slaves were Catholics, one can understand why they were heading south towards Spanish Florida, which was also …show more content…
Thornton claims, “Considering that many slaves were first captured in wars, it is reasonable to assume that some of the rebels had been soldiers.” In the decades prior to the Stono Rebellions, there were numerous civil wars in the Kongolese region of Africa. Therefore, it can be inferred that the slaves fighting the Stono rebellion might have already had military experience via the African civil wars. Also, based on account of the Stono rebellion, the rebelling slaves that were able to successfully steal and use weaponry against their opponents, causing destruction and killing colonists. Because of their previously acquired communication skills and military experience, the slaves involved in the Stono Rebellion of 1739 were able to execute of the largest, most expensive slave rebellions in U.S.