History - Essay Example

Life on a plantation for slaves could range from tolerable to brutal. No matter the slave’s position they were never equal to their masters. A slave was not human, but property. Slaves resisted in many ways. Psychologically slaves would learn to read, teach their children African history, or even like Kunta Kinte, keep some of their African traditions. Those born in the United States would resist through creating a twist on the white religion being taught and creating new traditions that were solely their own. Physically slaves would try to escape, or help others to escape. A few like Nat Turner would lead bloody revolts. The escapes sometimes worked, the revolts were always squashed with the slaves being put to death. Slavery in the Antebellum South fell into different categories, but two major categories. These categories were field hands or house workers. Field hands had to work in the fields from sunup to sundown. If they tried to escape, the slaves were whipped, maimed, or even killed. Field workers could physically break tools or work slow to resist the system. Psychologically field workers could dream of another life, bond with fellow slaves, and have personal dignity that went beyond being a slave. House workers did not have to do the strong manual labor, but were required to work just as hard. Black children would be put in charge of white children. Black mothers would have their babies taken away to nurse white children. The families would have slaves do all the cooking, cleaning, and other household chores. House slaves could be punished with the physical punishments as well. House slaves would physically resist by breaking things, spitting in food, and being slow. They could also escape and write passes from the masters to visit or escape. Psychologically they would learn to read, create new traditions, and remain dignified. Life was hard for both types of slaves. Bibliography Berlin, Ira, Marc Favreau, and Steven F. Miller. Eds. Remembering Slavery: African Americans Talk About Their Personal Experiences of Slavery and Emancipation. New York: The New Press, 2007. Read More