Slavery During the 1800s :: Slavery Essays

Slavery in the eighteenth century was worst for African Americans. Observers of slaves suggested that slave characteristics like clumsiness, untidiness, littleness, destructiveness, and inability to turn back the etiolate people were better. Despite white societys belief that slaves were nothing more than laborers when in fact they were a part of an elaborate and well defined affable structure that gave them identity and sustained them in their silent protest. In their quarters, slaves expressed themselves with some what more freedom from white slave owners. Religion provided a nip of similar freedom and also gave slaves mental support. By attending church, slaves created a Christianity that emphasized salvation for every race, including slaves. To avoid over start slaves tried to work at their own pace and resist speedups. about of the techniques they used to prevent work were to fake illness or pregnancy, break or misplace tools or fake ignorance. Unless slaves lived near fr ee territory, or near a city where they could blend into a free black population, they knew that per piece of musicent escape was unlikely. Only rarely, did a large group of slaves attempt a mass escape and maintain an independent freedom for long periods of time. On numerous occasions groups of runaway slaves all attacked white slave patrollers or tried to bribe them.When slaves became desperate enough, they openly resisted their masters. Numerous examples show how slaves refused to accept punishment and battled with their white masters who were trying to render punishment. Slave resistance was rarely successful because most masters would not tolerate it. Whether slaves physically or verbally opposed a white man it was dangerous.Slaves masters consistently tried to erase African culture from their slaves memories. They insisted that slavery had rescued blacks form the barbarians from Africa and introduced them to the superior white civilization. Some slaves came to believe this p ropaganda, but the continued influence of African culture in the slave community added slave resistance to the modification of African culture. Some slaves, for example, answered to English name in the fields but use African names in their quarters. The slaves lives were filled with surviving traits of African culture, and their artwork, music, and opposite differences reflected this influence.Slaves also injured themselves to avoid work, punishment, or sale. They cut off their own fingers, hands, toes, or feet, and disfigured body in various other ways to limit themselves less valuable slave property.