Introduction
People were abducted from the African continent throughout the 17th and 18th centuries and sold into slavery by plantation owners in the newly established American colonies. Generally, slaves were not allowed to learn how to read and write; they were also not allowed to travel around freely. Many slave owners sexually assaulted their slaves, rewarding submissive behavior with privileges while punishing disobedient slaves harshly. In order to keep the slaves divided and far less inclined to band together against their owners, there was a rigorous hierarchy among them, ranging from favored house employees and skilled craftsmen to unskilled field workers.
Myths and Misconceptions About Slavery
Irish Slaves in the American Colonies
More than not, the subject of the Irish people being held as slaves in the American colonies comes up whenever people are discussing the issue of slavery. Despite having some nuances of actuality, this argument greatly misrepresents the truth. This myth stems from the fact that the majority of the earliest Irish immigrants to America were impoverished and in need of funds to pay for their journey to America and a fresh start (Pruitt). They would then sign contracts, usually for a term of several years, committing to serve that individual in exchange for compensation for the funds they paid to get them into the colonies. Some people mistake this for enslavement, but this is completely different since, despite the fact that they briefly control their labor, the other person does not permanently own them; in essence, they are paying back a debt. According to popular belief, only a small percentage of Southerners owned slaves.
Another pervasive misconception is that the American Civil War was not fought over slavery but rather over state’s rights. Delegates from the state of South Carolina listed several reasons for the secession in their public statement in 1860 (Ledford 13). Among the reasons stated was “an increasing hostility on the part of the non-slaveholding states toward the institution of slavery” (Pruitt para 3). They protested that several New England states supported abolitionist groups and permitted black men the right to vote. They argued that doing so was a violation of their legal mandate. Slaves in more affluent southern homes were not being treated well.
The misconception that the enslaved in the finer homes were treated nicely and, generally, were better off as slaves and content with their existence is among the most prevalent assertions made time and time again by proponents of slavery. Although domestic slaves were spared the severe, taxing labor of the plantations, even the slightest error or transgression might result in abhorrent retribution and cruel whippings in public. In reality, even those with more compassionate masters had to contend with the threat that their friends and families would be mercilessly auctioned off at any time, and they had neither freedom nor choice.
The Day-to-day Life of a Slave in America
Given the appalling conditions and mistreatment they endured, life for African slaves in the colonies was undoubtedly difficult. Slave sales became a regular occurrence in the colonies, African slaves were sold and bought on a daily basis. The town plaza, for instance, was frequently the site of these auctions. Since they were powerful and capable of performing hard labor, young boys were usually valued most highly. Slaves performed a range of different types of work every day. For instance, a lot of women cleaned, cooked, and stitched, and men worked the fields, tended to animals, or built bricks. Due to the slightly light workload, household servant or butler positions were highly desired by many slaves as compared to working the fields or other tasks. Regardless of the role a slave had, working long hours was unavoidable.
African Slave Cultural Resistance
As one would anticipate in a setting where disparities in power determined the position of owners and their slaves, rebellion against servitude by slaves in American colonies was common. The worst form of human servitude was chattel slavery, as it was practiced. In their own countries, on the high seas, and in the American colonies, Africans battled and fought against slavery (Morgan 275). Throughout the entire slave trade, there was persistent opposition against the Europeans. African slaves were bound by slavery in more than just physical ways. During their time as slaves, they were barred from learning anything, even how to read and write. Since it was thought that mental stimulation could further give African slaves thoughts of liberty and independence, a lack of education was a way to maintain control.
Traditions and Religion
African traditions were expressed through dance, music, art, and sculpture. Slavery had a significant impact on the African culture, to serve in the American colonies, the African slaves had to abandon most of their traditions like sculpturing. Slaves needed music in order to survive, it first manifested itself in the form of songs and dances from the African villages they were taken from, a shared activity that cheered everyone immensely. However, despite being prohibited from engaging in most activities linked to their African heritage or traditions, the slaves in the colonies managed to engage in other traditions like storytelling, music, and dance. These tales were recounted covertly, with elements modified to fit their oppressed state and aspects of optimism and liberation added. Kidnapped slaves were able to cope with and document their experiences in American colonies by adapting their ancestors’ storytelling traditions.
Religious beliefs and practices of Africans were many and varied at the beginning of the Trans-Atlantic trade. African slaves prayed to and offered offerings to a Supreme Creator, whom they both believed to be the main figure among other gods. In their slavery, they continued to pray to the supreme being but were not allowed to offer offerings. However, after some time, slaves were forced to abandon their religion and take up Christianity. Those who became Christians and understood the Bible associated strongly with themes of freedom, like the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt, and utilized this to encourage and motivate themselves.
How Slave Resistance Aided Their Survival
Slavery left a legacy of resistance; from the first invasion and captivity in their ancestral lands, Africans sought freedom from servitude. The fight against enslavement persisted throughout history in the colonies as well. African slaves and their ancestors escaped, sometimes by themselves, sometimes in groups, from forced labor, abuse, severe punishment, brutality, and the prospect of being separated from their families. African slaves looked to their own cultures for survival strategies. Time spent with their family in slave chambers was an essential way of passing on knowledge about their ancestors.
Conclusion
Extended families developed into a kind of network that disseminated knowledge, assisted groups in sharing information, and provided guidance on how to cope with the intense pressures of servitude. Because it was illegal for a slave to marry or get married, many slaves married in secret; couples who were separated but still lived nearby would travel long distances at night to see each other. Slaves born in the American colonies had different survival skills than those abducted from Africa after the Act Prohibiting the Import of Slaves went into effect in 1808 (Shaffer 48). They were better equipped to flee than their predecessors since they could grasp the languages and customs of regional American colonies.
Works Cited
Ledford, Preston Lafayette. Reminiscences of the Civil War, 1861-1865. University Publications of America, 2022.
Morgan, Kenneth. “8 Slave Resistance.” Slavery in America. Edinburgh University Press, 2022. 275-314.
Pruitt, Sarah. “5 Myths about Slavery.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, Web.
Shaffer, Kirwin. “Liberating Ourselves: Slave Resistance and Emancipation.” A Transnational History of the Modern Caribbean, 2022, pp. 41–55. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. Web.