Sam Sefton
Essay 2
10/15/14
History 205- slavery in the US
Resistance and Culture Provided Slaves
with Humanity
The
movement of commodification endeavored to rip the slaves from their familiarity. They were no longer in familiar territory,
nor did familiar faces surround them.
The slaves were separated from their families and stripped to foreign
lands because they were now objects rather than people. Their humanity was taken away from them just
like everything else. This aspect of
slavery is not studied in society because it would humanize the slaves. Society would be able to sympathize with the
slaves. Slavery is rendered invisible,
and society takes interest in protecting this sheltered view of slavery. Slaves resisted their masters, which left
them with power and a sense of independence.
Resistance and culture became an escape from the commodification,
leaving the slaves with power, humanity, and a sense of hope.
Resistance was a common occurrence
among the enslaved. Slaves that resisted
their masters had consequences for their actions. Frederick Douglass explains his disobedience,
“One of my greatest faults was that of letting his horse run away…I would then
have to go after it”[1]. This kind of resistance was done for an
underlying purpose. Douglass continues,
“My reason for this kind of carelessness, or carefulness, was, that I could
always get something to eat when I went there”[2]. He continues to explain that he was whipped
for his resistance and eventually was rented to another slave owner.[3] This form of resistance was so Douglass could
have a proper meal. Douglas did not
resist against his new master until the master became violent against Douglass,
“ I resolved to fight; and suiting my action to the resolution, I seized Covey
hard by the throat…My resistance as so entirely unexpected, that Covey seemed
take all aback…This gave me assurance”[4]. Masters do not expect their own property to
fight back against them. However,
Douglass’ resistance gives him a sense of independence and power. It allows the slaves to realize that they
still have control of their own actions even if they are not the actions desired
by the masters. Douglass expands on his
feelings after this argument, “…revived within me a sense of my own
manhood. It recalled the departed
self-confidence, and inspired me again with a determination to be free”[5]. Resistance granted the slaves with hope. This was a hope to be free, and a sense of
self-preservation and independence. It
allowed the slaves to realize they were not completely bound by the masters’
demands, but rather just had to face the consequences that arose with their
actions.
It was a common occurrence for the
slaves to attempt to escape all together. However, the master’s had a right to reclaim
runaway slaves if they were found.
Rewards were normally given if the runaways were found. The possibility of freedom was worth the
potential harsh consequences. Harriet
Jacobs explains, “I raised the window very softly and jumped out… ‘Sally, I
have run away. Let me in, quick’”[6].
The reader can sense fear in Jacob’s voice, which was not uncommon. Generally, when a slave ran away, there were
many efforts taken to retrieve them. “Six
Advertisements for Virginia Slave Runaways, 1736,1767” demonstrates typical ads
that were seeking the return of the runaway slaves.[7] Each advertisement has a reward posted, which
indicates the ownership that the masters have over their slaves. When slaves runaway, it leaves them with
independence, power, and humanity. They
are no longer under the power of their masters, but rather under their own
power. That is unless they are caught
and returned. It was inevitable that the
masters would punish the slaves if they were found to reprimand them for their
opposition to the master’s demands.
The
slavery movement formed a new kind of culture.
Charles Joyner author of “Believer I Know” notes, “most of the slaves’
culture was neither ‘retained’ from Africa nor ‘adopted’ from white
slaveholders. Rather, it was created by
the salves from a convergence of various African cultural patters, white
cultural influence, and the necessities demanded by the new environment”[8]. The slaves were not all from one part of
Africa, so they came with different customs and beliefs. The new slave culture was a merging of these
differing customs and beliefs. White
culture introduces Christianity to this new African-American culture. Joyner explains, “the story of the emergence
of African-American Christianity is a story of an emergent African-American
culture as well as of residual African cultures, a story of innovation as well
as of tradition, a story of change as well of continuity”.[9] This new form of Christianity allowed the
slaves to believe and worship with each other.
It became a form of escape.
Joyner enlightens the reader, “The slaves’ spiritual life was largely
hidden from white observation. Often the
slave preachers held services apart from the whites without their knowledge”[10]. This form of worship allowed the slaves to
have their own religious identity. It
became a part of their culture. This
religious culture provided an escape from enslaved life. It allowed them to have part of their
humanity back.
Familiarity
for the slaves provided comfort and confidence.
Olaudah Equiano, a slave in West Africa, explains “their treatment of
me, made me forget that I was a slave”[11]. She then continues to describe her time there
and that her master’s language and customs were similar to her own
culture. Evidently, she was able to feel
like a normal person because she was surrounded by her own culture and felt
comfortable.
The
slaves were ripped away from their families, so it wasn’t unusual to form a
family among other slaves. These groups
found ways to preserve their customs from home.
For example, York in the collection of Poems Buffalo Dance explains,
“we shared camp fires, stories, an music”[12]. Stories and music were central to the African
culture. It was the way they would teach
future generations. York clarifies the
importance of the stories “I try to keep every word I hear alive in my head so
I can carry them back an warm the fires at home. I think my people will ‘preciate stories
where whoever struggle in the beginning make out alright in the end”[13]. The stories were passed through generations,
and were guides of how the slaves lived.
York makes reference to ‘making out alright in the end’ this is because
those are stories that the slaves can relate too. They struggle in the beginning but hope to be
ok by the end. These stories provided
the slaves with a sense of hope and optimism to not give up on life. York summarizes “Nobody choose to slave. Them choose to hold on to what little family
them got. Them choose to be sure
somebody still here to tell our side to tell the whole truth when it all said
an done”[14]
The slaves grasp onto the small amount of culture they have left. This culture is made up of other slaves to
form slave families, which become a sense of comfort.
The integration of Slaves into
America left the slaves with nothing but shock. Their families were most likely
not with them, and many times the people around them didn’t speak the same
language as them. Therefore, slaves
clung to people around them and a new culture was formed. This culture left the slaves with familiarity
and humanity. They were able to
comfortably be themselves. Slaves were
given a sense of freedom and life before enslavement when they sang, told
stories, or celebrated someone’s life.
York concurs “singing songs an laughing a little somehow makes the load
lighter”[15]. These customs made the slaves happy. Slaves
found power and a sense of humanity in opposing their masters. Whether slaves resisted the master’s orders,
or ran away completely they had a sense of power over their own actions, which
provided them with humanity. They were
able to have control over their own actions.
However, resistance led to harsh repercussions. Forming slave communities allowed slaves to
practice their former customs as well as providing an escape from
enslavement.
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