It is well known that historically, many slaves were trying to resist their status. The multitude of ways enslaved people could oppose slavery ranged from the passive aggressive behavior to open revolts. Regardless of the method, one goal that slaves pursued in particular was the ability to sustain communities and cultures. Although freedom was the ultimate goal of every resisting slave, independence could be ensured via different venues. Even though slave resistance is commonly associated with physical violence, it was not limited to armed rebellions. According to Blunt, “slaves found ways to resist the demands of their masters and to etch out small spaces of autonomy” without engaging in violence (870). Overall, slave resistance comprised two strategies – active rebellions and passive aggression, which allowed slaves to use Christianity against their owners.
The first and most evident strategy that slaves used was an open revolt. The history is full of examples of slave-led rebellions that had both successful and unsuccessful outcomes. When slaves managed to get hold of weapons and unite against slave owners, a rebellion was the most feasible way to reach independence. However slave owners understood that possibility as well and attempted to undermine such initiatives. Historically, few slave rebellions led to the independence of enslaved people, because the opposing force was often better supplied and trained, (Rugemer 134). Naturally, many slaves were aware of the likelihood of failure of such rebellions and many chose not to take this risk.
The second strategy was to employ mundane resistance, which was a less violent and less risky option for slaves. Passive disobedience took many forms, but all had one purpose –complicating the dealings of slave owners in conspicuous ways. Specifically, mundane resistance “involved acts like theft of livestock, feigning illness, working at a slow pace, or damaging crops and machinery” (Blunt 872). While such actions may look inconsequential, they could be extremely damaging when happening on a massive scale. This strategy was also the least risky, as slaves could easily create any reason for their lack of productivity without showcasing their real intentions.
Finally, slaves used the religion that their owners imposed on them to sustain their communities. Christianity was preached to both white and black people alike. While it is true that slaves had no choice but to accept it, they also embraced the religion willingly. The reason for this acceptance lies in the church’s ability to bring people together. The excuse of meeting for praying could be used to conceal real intentions, which included spreading the message of liberation (White et al. 144). Such activities were effective in uniting slaves and cultivating their own communities. Religion served as a uniting factor, which helped sustain relationships between slaves. This strategy proved successful because secret Christian black churches continued to exist after the abolition of slavery, thus indicating the efficiency of the uniting endeavors.
Altogether, it should be evident that drastically different strategies were used by slaves to resist their owners. Open revolts happened on numerous occasions, but they were rarely successful. Mundane disobedience was the most efficient strategy because it allowed slaves to explain their artificial work inefficiency by external factors, without actually highlighting their resistant attitude. Finally, Christianity was crucial at sustaining slaves’ communities because it both provided a pretext for secret meetings and united enslaved people together.
Works Cited
Baxter, Kean, et al. “Hope, Resilience, and African-American Spirituality.” Racism and Psychiatry, edited by David R. Williams, et al., Humana Press, 2019, pp. 141-156.
Blunt, Gwilym David. “Is there a human right to resistance?.” Human Rights Quarterly, vol. 39, no. 4, 2017, pp. 860-881.
Rugemer, Edward B. Slave Law and the Politics of Resistance in the Early Atlantic World. Harvard University Press, 2018.