From: Matt Carminito
Date: 4/12/00
Time: 8:17:06 PM
Remote Name: 155.247.59.56
Matt Carminito History 67 4/13/00
For the most part Afro-Americans, enslaved in the south, were able to cope. Given their circumstances they coped very well, while other groups may have crumbled under the pressure. They partook in many acts that showed their displeasure towards their oppressors, while maintaining a sense of self worth that came from religion and family. Free Blacks suffered also but it was too a lesser degree. They did not have to endure as many hardships but only struggled with rights and liberties. Slave owners in the South did all that they could to make their slaves submissive. They used physical and psychological tactics to make their slaves obey. Slave owners had the churches teach slaves that it was God's will for them to obey. Many slaves resisted these teachings and that showed their self esteem had not completely diminished. To resist their owners, slaves did many different things. From 1800-1831 there were many slave uprisings and revolts with Nat Turner leading the biggest on in 1831. Other slaves that were fortunate enough to live in the Upper South made attempts at fleeing to the North. While slaves in the Deep South resisted by working slower, stealing from their master, and by poisoning their owner's food. Slaves that were free also suffered. They had very few rights and they were not treated as equals. In the South they had to carry papers that showed that they were free and sometimes they were forced back into slavery. In the North things were not as bad. Slaves were able to hold protests to show their hatred towards slavery. Freed slaves often helped other slaves escape through the Underground Railroad.