1. Culture and Slavery?

2. Outcomes
3.5 explain and describe the development and difficulties of slave culture economically, politically, socially, and spiritually in North America and Caribbean
3.6 examine how people of African descent used various means to resist enslavement through cultural expression, i.e., music and slave insurrections, religion, folktales and writing

3. How did people resist enslavement?
Rebellion
Escape
Assisting Others
Quilts
Families
Songs/Stories

4. Thinking… What is culture? Why is it so hard to define?
How do we show our culture?
Why would it be better for slavers if they influenced slave culture?

5. What would it be like?

6. Daily Life: Slave Provided shelter
Given enough to eat
Provided shelter
Could get access to better if job was in the main house
Could often be sold without warning
Not uncommon for the master to father children with the slaves who would then become slaves
Crop work long and dangerous including poisonous animals like snakes – or cold and tedious like in Canadian Farms
Brutal punishments like whipping, withholding of food, locking in cages with no access to food or water, tied to a tree in the sun…
Day started early and ended late
Work decided by a quota – punishments if they were not met

7. Daily Life: Owner Houses made of brick or stone
Small farmers lived mostly hand to mouth with help from neighbours
Some were rich and lived mostly for recreation
Church meetings like picnics or socials were major events
Clothing depended on your level of society and was often colourful and decorated with flowers or ribbons on
Sundays
Long work days but plenty of recreational opportunities for the average person

8. The Price of Freedom?
freed by their owners to honor a pledge, to grant a reward, or, before the 1700s, to fulfill a servitude agreement
bought by Quakers, Methodists, and religious activists for the sole purpose of freeing them (a practice soon banned in the southern states)
ran away to free territory
"self-purchase“
purchasing their own relatives
turning 25 in Canada after 1763
living in Canada after 1834
living in the US after 1865

9. Slave Culture
What was the difference between Thomas Jefferson and Jupiter?
What did both Jefferson and Jupiter have to learn?
When did the work of a slave end?
What sorts of punishment could a slave expect?
Who was a slave child expected to obey more – his master or his mother?
How could a slave rebel?
How could slaves negotiate?
What was the importance of African religion and tradition?
How do we see the mix of “American” and “African” culture?
What was different in the dating of Jefferson and the dating of Jupiter?
What was the centre of family life for the slave?
A slave having a family was a wonderful and painful thing for them. Why?

10. Complete the article questions in full sentences for your notes.
Slave Religion
Complete the article questions in full sentences for your notes.

11. Passing Down Culture Slaves were not permitted to read and write
Teaching a slave to read or write was against the law unless there were special circumstances
Passing down of stories or warnings was through oral tradition, songs and art
From one generation to the next subtle changes

12. Music Different Kinds of Music Different occasions Few instruments
Often required few people
Often told a story
3 main kinds:
Work
Worship
Warning
"Arwhoolie" (Cornfield Holler) – YouTube
Mississippi John Hurt - Do Lord Remember Me – YouTube
Follow the Drinking Gourd - YouTube