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Self-expression of slaves
Slavery left the North and began to be used exclusively in the South after 1790 when extensive industrial development was ongoing in the Southern colonies. These slaves endured hard existence on the plantations since growing sugar was not an easy task. The slaves consisted of children, men, women, and the elderly, and they worked from dawn to dusk under the orders of their masters, mainly the planters (Blassingame 17). In the absence of the masters, overseers were tasked with the severity of the labor and enforcement of the rules. The masters judged the overseers by the quality and size of the crop, the general condition of the plantation, and the slaves behavior. The slaves had limited leisure time in which they engaged in dancing and singing. According to Blassingame, some slave masters discouraged drum beating, claiming it could initiate rebellions (19). Most importantly, slaves expressed themselves through craftsmanship, arts, and education. Although there were some obstacles, these slaves enormously impacted American musics development by crafting a rich musical tradition. Therefore, this was the slave community on the plantation.
How Slaves Created their Own Community
The slaves on the plantation created their own identities in many ways. During the voyage and in the plantations, slaves from different cultures and tribes communicated through singing. African and religious traditions influenced the songs, which later formed the Negro Spirituals (Blassingame 28). According to their masters, creating a culture of their own symbolized rebellion, which formed the basis of defying their bondage. These slaves also made culturally diverse foods, harvested personal gardens, expressed themselves through songs, and practiced religion. The creation of their own community further led to strong family bonds. Blassingame notes that they started creating these bonds after completing the days work, although this was not an easy feat (41). However, their masters set this as an incentive for them to complete the days work fast enough to go and meet with their newfound families. Therefore, these are some of the ways slaves created their own identity in the plantations.
How I would Maintain My Identity
In a country and society that is not my country of origin, it would not be easy, but I would have practiced some actions to maintain my identity. The first one would be to make banjos, drums, and rattles out of gourds to retain the African traditions. I would also use the African coiling method to make baskets. Besides, I would plait mats and rugs with African patterns. Lastly, I would make such musical instruments as drums and sing and dance while rhythmically clapping hands (patting juba). By these practices, other Africans would identify me as one of them, and I would feel a part of their identity too.
Practicing these actions would be helpful since they are all linked to the African traditions from where the slaves originated. All these practices were not on a part of the masters and overseers in the plantations. Therefore, practicing them would make me different from natives as my culture would be unique. Also, these practices would make it easy to identify with other slaves on the plantation. Folktales, craftsmanship, song, and dance were the main ways African slaves expressed themselves (Blassingame, 63). Therefore, these practices would make it easy to identify with and communicate with other slaves on the plantation, thereby maintaining my identity.
Work Cited
Blassingame, John W. The Slave Community: Plantation Life in the Antebellum South. Oxford University Press, 1980.
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