Slave Rebellions

For over 2,000 years, slavery has been conducted in various parts of the world. From year 1500 to year 1900, Europeans stole individuals from West Africa, West Central Africa, and Southeast Africa and shipped them to the different parts of the Atlantic. This process dehumanized them of their identity. Europeans stole husbands, wives, merchants, blacksmiths, farmers, and even children. They removed them from their homelands and gave them new names: slaves. European slaveholders never thought to take ownership of their actions by killing humans with brutality and degradation. Slave trade was considered popular in England and soon after more countries began the process of taking slaves to newly claimed territories. These countries include

Many historical factors such as the abolitionist movement changed the pro-slavery movement from the period of the American Revolution up to the American Civil War. The first major crisis of slavery began during the American Revolution. The American Revolution was a war among the American colonies and Great Britain starting in the year of 1775 and ending in the year of 1783. The American civil war began in the year of 1861 and lasted until the year of 1865. Their goal in the Pro- Slavery movement was to keep slavery because thought slavery was the only reason they were still profiting and surviving during that particular period.

Slave resistance began for many enslaved Africans before they reach the Americas. Karenga explained the many arrangements in which Africans resisted to enslavement, while in Africa, during the middle passage, and in the Americas. Employing the Karenga text one can evaluate the different resistances that transpired in Antigua as Cultural, Resistance, Day-to-Day Resistance, Abolitionism, Armed Resistance, Revolts, Ship Mutinies, and Afro-Native Alliance. One can conclude that enslaved Africans had an unrelenting resistance to enslavement (Karenga).

During the course of the slave trade millions of Africans became involuntary immigrants to the New World. Some African captives resisted enslavement by fleeing from slave forts on the coast of West African. Others mutinied on board slave trading vessels, or cast themselves into the ocean, rather facing death than enslavement. In the New World there were those who ran away from their owners, ran away among the Indians, formed maroon societies, revolted, feigned sickness, or participated in work slow downs. Some sought and succeeded in gaining liberty through various legal means such as "good service" to their masters, self-purchase, or military service. Still others seemingly acquiesced and learned to survive in

Nat Turner’s Rebellion was one of the few slave revolts that took place during the early 1800s. Countless attempts at freedom by slaves were not successful due to a lack of precision and planning that Nat Turner’s Rebellion possessed. Turner spent years gathering information and planning the specific details of the revolt he led. Turner researched the various people he targeted and focused on during the events in the rebellion. Nat Turner’s Rebellion influenced the abolition of slavery and the ways individuals are dealt with present-day human trafficking. The rebellion shows the tactics Turner used when he created an effective and life changing rebellion. The revolt and uprising of slaves during the time period was uncommon, since slave owners had not treated slaves in a harsh manner. The ways in which Nat Turner worked to combat against slavery were evident through his childhood, where he spent hours each day reading and analyzing the bible. He spent several years planning the different aspects of the rebellion, doing his best to minimize the possibility of exposing slaveowners to the plan for the rebellion. The events following the rebellion led to massive changes to the institution of slavery.

In this assignment I will be taking a further look into the history of slavery. When thinking of slavery the immediate thought that comes to mind is all the negative aspects of the system. Prior to this research, I was unaware of slave systems that were not based on the long labor hours and the torture of slaves. Granted, there were still forms of slavery that practiced these brutal rituals, where slaves were treated as animals and were malnourished. One prime example of this, is the book titled “Am I Not A Woman And A Sister”, looks at the history of a Bermudan slave named Mary Prince. Another example of slavery that will be incorporated in this paper will come from a source about a woman slave named Semsigul, born in Caucasus an area that

Slaves were considered property, not as human beings, and were bought and sold as commodities. They were often listed in sales along with corn and land (document 5) and were leased and sold openly from slave dealer’s places of business where human beings were kept in a “slave pen” prior to sale. Inhumane punishment, such as severe and cruel whippings were inflicted on slaves for any minor infraction, often in public view. (document 2) The harshness of these beatings

Slaves were often whipped for the smallest infractions. As per Frederick Douglass, “It would astonish one, unaccustomed to a slaveholding life, to see with what wonderful ease a slaveholder can find things, of which to make occasion to whip a slave.” (87) He goes on to list some reasons a slave might be whipped for, “A mere look, word, or motion,--mistakes, accident, or want of power…Does he forget to pull off his hat at the approach of a white person? Then he is wanting in reverence, and should be whipped for it.” (89) In one illustration of said treatment Douglass tells of how cruel his first master was.

Abolitionism is the act or action of abolishing a system, practice, or institution. The movement that is referred to as the Abolitionist Movement, was a movement that was formed to eliminate slavery completely. The early movement, that took place between 1770 and 1830, focused on eliminating the African Slave Trade. The early abolitionist believed they would be able to eliminate slavery altogether if they could eliminate the slave trade.

Nat Turner stated that his reason for starting a slave revolt was the signs presented to him by a spirit, which his fellow servants claimed was God. He believed that God had made him his messenger to save his people by creating terror and alarm in order to free blacks. Turner was presented with visions of “white spirits and black spirits engaged in battle”, of which he interpreted as what he was to do. After speaking to a white man about his visions the “appearance of the sign, (the eclipse of the sun last February)” told him he should rise and kill his “enemies with their own weapons”. The Nat Turner slave revolt could result in the tightening of arms on slaves. The turmoil created would lead to suspicion which could also consequently lead to the murder of many innocent African Americans. The white settlers would not be able to distinguish between the slaves who take part in the revolt, and those who fight to protect their own masters.

Steven Mintz states, “A Master’s authority rested on the threat of physical pain. To discipline slaves, plantation owners set up private jails, confined slaves in stocks and shackled them with chains and iron collars.” Punishment was not only used to discipline slaves, but it was a way for slave owners to show their dominance. Slave owners asserted their power over the slaves in any situation they did not agree with. In “Instructions to his Overseer”, James Henry Hammond states, “The following is the order in which offences must be estimated & punished:1st Running away.

Enslaved people were treated extremely harshly by Southern slave owners. Slaves were instructed to do heavy labor, and if they did not worth to their maximum ability they were cruelly treated with whippings, beatings, and they were sometimes even maimed. Slaves barely had enough food, clothing, and shelter to get through

Slavery in North America began with the Portuguese in the seventeenth century. Increasing and spreading significantly, slavery eventually became an economic staple in the southern region of America. Although widespread and popular, rebellion against this human bondage was inevitable. Slaves in the south rebelled and revolted against their owners many times; however, these efforts were often suppressed. Although most revolts ended in failure, some did impact the feelings of slavemasters, and unfortunately, worsened their living conditions. Throughout American history, the most notable and significant slave rebellions in the south were The Stono Rebellion, The Vesey Rebellion, and The Nat Turner

Nathaniel who also went by the alias “Nat” Turner was an African American slave who led the only effective and sustained slave rebellion in U.S. history. A mutiny was planned but rescheduled for August 21, 1831, when

Plantation owners thought that this extreme discipline would make the slaves too scared to rebel. In South Carolina it was said that "a slave owner would put nails in a barrel sticking out on the inside of the barrel, then put the slave in and roll him/her down a very long and steep hill. Another punishment slave owners used was to whip their slaves. Other slave owners in Virginia smoked their slaves. This involved whipping them and putting them in a tobacco smokehouse".("life of a slave" thinkquest) Other punishments were getting beaten with various objects such as a chair, broom, tongs, shovel, shears, knife handles, the heavy end of a woman’s shoe, and an oak club.("life of a slave" thinkquest) Although slaves lived terrible lives, they found hope in religion. Many converted to Christianity which did not please many whites.