Slavery: Slave Response - Adaptation and Resistance

Introduction…. Origins and development of Institution Slave Codes to regulate Conditions worse in Deep South Condition worse on Big Plantations…impersonal.. Conditions better on small farms – codes not always enforced - but slaves preferred the privacy, and comfort of kin on the big plantations Domestic Servants treated better

Most slaves accepted their situation and were resigned to life as a slave: especially second generation onwards – little resistance Most slaves adapted to their new situation, blending their culture and heritage - music, religion, language, family bonds with their new surroundings….survival instincts

Family Life continued to marry (though not legally recognized) and developed strong and elaborate family structures build staple households…worked together growing their own food in their gardens but family members were often sold off: so they came to place a strong emphasis on extended family kinship networks, even creating surrogate relative / adopted by another family, for those who were separated entirely from their own families they adapted themselves to difficult conditions over which they had limited control

Languages Developed languages of their own, for example in South Carolina, the early slaves communicated with one another in Gullah, a hybrid of English and African – elsewhere called “pidgin”, that not only reinforced a sense of connection with their African ancestry but enabled them to engage in conversations their masters could not understand

Religion There emerged too a distinctive slave religion, which blended Christianity with African folklore and which became a central element in the emergence of an independent black culture – emotional, involved chanting, spontaneous exclamations….more joyful than Protestant religions, emphasized a dream of freedom and deliverance, as well as salvation

Music very important in slave society: blended their music with what they came in touch with….origins of blues, jazz….accompanied by dance; as entertainment, comfort, part of their religion, to prevent boredom or work stress

Forms of Resistance Varied Pretending to not understand instructions, to get out of doing difficult jobs Worked slowly, dragged out task Sabotaged machinery, broke equipment, to slow down pace of work Self inflicted injuries or feigned illnesses to get out of tasks Some ran away: majority were captured and returned

Slave Rebellions The most extreme form of resistance was slave rebellions 1. New York, 1712 and 1741 rebellion of about 20 urban slaves on each occasion set fire to buildings, seized guns, knives, axes… and killed several people Subdued, captured, tortured, executed

2. Stono Rebellion (1739), S. Carolina 20 slaves rose up, seized weapons from a store, killed and decapitated the two white store owners, and attempted to escape south to Florida But drew too much attention to themselves: flags, chanting, drums. Hoped to encourage others to rebel along the road to Florida Numbers got up to close to 100. Burned 7 plantations, and killed 20 whites. Were eventually overpowered by a militia Brutal retribution: hung, severed heads placed on posts as warning to others 30 who hid in the woods were hunted down and hanged

3. New Orleans, 1810 Several hundred slaves in the river parishes above New Orleans marched on the city Poorly armed, they were no match for the US army troops and militiamen who stopped them More than 60 slaves died, and the heads of the leading rebels were posted on poles along the Miss River to warn others of the fate that awaited rebellious slaves

4. Gabriel Prosser, 1800, Virginia He gathered 1,000 slaves together in Richmond VA two slaves betrayed the plot before they could escape and the militia rounded them up. Prosser and 35 others were executed.

5. Denmark Vesey, in 1822, in Charleston S. Carolina a free mulatto, carpenter, who had purchased his freedom: became a preacher – believed he was on a divine mission Planned to attack the state arsenal The best planned rebellion: hoped to liberate 1,000 slaves and escape to Haiti Elaborate plans for different slave teams The plot collapsed when two domestic servants betrayed it Vesey and 35 others were hung Sent shock waves through southern white society

6. 1831 Nat Turner, Virginia slave preacher, tried to organize a major uprising Considered the important slave insurrection in American History because, unlike the two previous ones, it actually erupted before it could be suppressed. Messianic message from his dream – slaves were destined to be freed and by him (like Vesey) led a small band of slaves on a “murderous rampage” in Aug 1831, in southeast VA, along North Carolina border slaughtered 60 whites. Eventually overpowered by state and fed troops Turner and about 30 other slave rebels were killed on the spot In the aftermath several hundred more slaves were put to death in a rage of panic…..severed heads placed on poles