Previous. The Slave Community: Plantation Life in the Antebellum South Revised Edition by John W. Blassingame (Author) 170 ratings Kindle $9.99 Read with Our Free App Hardcover $29.39 1 Used from $29.39 1 Collectible from $29.75 Paperback $9.99 - $66.15 91 Used from $4.27 17 New from $56.09 2 Rentals from $12.21 Sandy Jenkins also lives at Freelands at this time, and Douglass reminds readers about Sandys root and reports that Sandys superstition is common among the more ignorant slaves. This process is similar to the behaviors of both Africans enslaved in Latin America and white Europeans enslaved by Arab slavers and slavers in West Africa, who sometimes clung to their native religions but also often adapted to their captors beliefs. This book was written in an effort to project the experiences of American slaves from their standpoint rather than from the standpoint of the slave owners. Plantation Life In The Antebellum South Summary. [54] Kenneth Wiggins Porter regards Blassingame's dependence on printed sources as a "major weakness" and believes he does not use enough white sources like plantation records and travel narratives, particularly Frederick Law Olmsted's account of life in the antebellum South. Yet the slaves value their education so highly that they attend Douglass's school despite the threat of punishment. Read more about the motif of slaves as property. Save over 50% with a SparkNotes PLUS Annual Plan! He asserts that the retention of African culture acted as a form of resistance to enslavement: "All things considered, the few Africans enslaved in seventeenth- and eighteenth-century America appear to have survived their traumatic experiences without becoming abjectly docile, infantile, or submissive" and "since an overwhelming percentage of nineteenth-century Southern slaves were native Americans, they never underwent this kind of shock [the Middle Passage] and were in a position to construct psychological defenses against total dependency on their masters. Interpersonal theorists argue that "behavioral patterns are determined by the characteristics of the situation, how the person perceives them, and his behavioral dispositions at the time." Next. Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. [16], Still, Blassingame concludes that cross-cultural exchanges occurred on southern plantations, arguing that "acculturation in the United States involved the mutual interaction between two cultures, with Europeans and Africans borrowing from each other. 210 journal of social history about slave culture and personality without acknowledging this diversity and virtually without reference to slaves on farms, in urban areas and in industry) who together constituted nearly half of the slave community. "The Slave Community: Plantation Life in the Antebellum South" by John W. Blassingame is the first book about slavery written by a historian in the viewpoint of slaves rather than slave owners. "[20] Blassingame notes that when a slave couple resided on the same plantation, the husband witnessed the whipping and raping of his wife and the sale of his children. [61], Since its publication in 1972 and revision in 1979, The Slave Community has influenced subsequent historiographical works on slavery in the United States. The men transport their prisoners to Thomas Aulds house. A:True B:False. [70] The most significant changes made to the text involve further discussion of African cultural survivals, slave family life, slave culture, and acculturation. [46] Historian George P. Rawick noted in 1976, however, that the criticism "should not obscure the fact that [Blassingame's] book was of such merit as to warrant spending our time criticizing it four years after its publication. As a result, slaves were able to form relationships with one another that provided them with hope for the future and some measure of happiness despite current situations. You can get a custom paper by one of our expert writers. [3], Phillips's interpretation of slavery was challenged by Kenneth M. Stampp in The Peculiar Institution: Slavery in the Ante-Bellum South (1956) and Stanley M. Elkins in Slavery: A Problem in American Institutional and Intellectual Life (1958). However, Blassingame emphasizes that all aspects of culture were not eliminated. [39] Blassingame's discussion of the African slave trade, Middle Passage, and African culture is based on Olaudah Equiano's The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African (1794).[40]. The contents of the outline is never to supplant the original book but rather to help readers figure out a smart read. Kilson, Marian DeB. Copyright 1999 - 2023 GradeSaver LLC. Douglass moves from the personal account of the rest of the year under Covey to a general analysis of the holiday that slave owners give their slaves between Christmas and New Years. This enforced ignorance robs children of their natural sense of individual identity. [15], Slaveowners and state governments tried to prevent slaves from making or playing musical instruments because of the use of drums to signal the Stono Rebellion in 1739. For Douglass, the difference between the Revolutionaries and slaves is widened by the fact that slaves do not benefit from the citizens rights for which the Revolutionaries fought. The extent of submissiveness often depends on the structure of the group to which the person belongs. Plot Summary. [41], Besides fugitive slave narratives, Blassingame uses abolitionist periodicals such as The Liberator, National Anti-Slavery Standard, Pennsylvania Freeman, Anti-Slavery Bugle, and Genius of Universal Emancipation. Additional materials, such as the best quotations, synonyms and word definitions to make your writing easier are also offered here. Blassingame notes, "Antebellum black slaves created several unique cultural forms which lightened their burden of oppression, promoted group solidarity, provided ways for verbalizing aggression, sustaining hope, building self-esteem, and often represented areas of life largely free from the control of whites. He observed that during courtship men flattered women and exaggerated their prowess. Like a man whistling in the dark to bolster his courage, the white man had to portray the slave as Sambo. The Slave study guide contains a biography of Isaac Bashevis Singer, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. [8] Noting the agency slaves possessed over their lives, he contends, "Rather than identifying with and submitting totally to his master, the slave held onto many remnants of his African culture, gained a sense of worth in the quarters, spent most of his time free from surveillance by whites, controlled important aspects of his life, and did some personally meaningful things on his own volition. Douglass writes that they immediately knew who the betrayer was, but he does not reveal who they suspected. Here Douglass puns on the comfort of living with Freeland as his master and his stronger desire to live on free land. Douglass, resolving to attempt an escape sometime during the year, sets about offering his fellow slaves the chance to join him. In a 1976 edition of Roll, Jordan, Roll, Eugene Genovese explains that Blassingame's book "demonstrates that the published accounts of runaway slaves can be illuminating". Published in 1972, it is one of the first historical studies of slavery in the United States to be presented from the perspective of the enslaved. Blassingame argued that a great variety of personality types The community celebrated long into the night but grew jealous and angry as the feast wore on: to them, the excess of the feast was a measure of Baby Suggs's unwarranted pride. He remarks, "While many of these tales were brought over to the South, the African element appears most clearly in the animal tales." Blassingame writes: Contemporaries often have a greater appreciation of the strengths and weaknesses of statistics than do the scholars who utilize them decades after they are compiled. The book analyzes three main personality types of black slaves. Douglass recalls how daunting the odds were for them. At first, Thomas Auld announces his intent to send Douglass to Alabama. This is a dangerous undertaking, as educating slaves is forbidden; the community violently shuts down a similar school run by a white man. Instead of equating Freeland with free land, Douglass uses the pun to point out that belonging to Freeland is not as good a guarantee as living on free land.. Blassingame's essay, "Redefining The Slave Community: A Response to Critics" appears in the volume. However, enslaved people often played into their masters expectations to protect themselves and each other from punishment, hiding their genuine emotions and frequently reject[ing] the arguments (305) of their own racial inferiority. The Slave Community Notes Ch. and then Add to Home Screen. He notes, "Blassingame, unfortunately, does not help us at all in this task." 20% One day, four white apprentices attack Douglass at the shipyard and nearly destroy his left eye. "[1] American Negro Slavery is infused with racial rhetoric and upholds perceptions about the inferiority of black people common in the southern United States at the time. TO CANCEL YOUR SUBSCRIPTION AND AVOID BEING CHARGED, YOU MUST CANCEL BEFORE THE END OF THE FREE TRIAL PERIOD. [48] David Goldfield writes in Agricultural History that the book was the most impressive and balanced attempt to understand the slave's responses to plantation life to date. Published in 1972, it analyzes the experiences of slaves in the Antebellum South during a time in history that was fraught with controversy and misunderstanding. The film depicts rape during the middle passage and in the present, and offers an unflinching view of the forms of psychological and physical discipline deployed, as when slaves are murdered or made to flog each other under the threat of death. Blassingame portrays slaves in different ways than previous authors because he uses real life accounts of slavery experiences rather than second hand accounts from white slave owners. will review the submission and either publish your submission or providefeedback. He dreams one night that she is pregnant and feels abandoned by him. Since slave parents were primarily responsible for training their children, they could cushion the shock of bondage for them, help them to understand their situation, teach them values different from those their masters tried to instill in them, and give them a referent for self-esteem other than the master. Freeland has no pretensions about religion and is consistent and fair in his treatment of his slaves. Word soon spreads, and Douglass surreptitiously begins to hold a Sabbath school in the cabin of a free black. Douglass's first year with Freeland passes smoothly. Thanks for creating a SparkNotes account! An editor However, he goes to state that these personality types can be misleading based on the extent to which slaves acted the way their masters expected them to behave (Blassingame, 242 243). Your group members can use the joining link below to redeem their group membership. Did you know you can highlight text to take a note? The The Slave Community Note includes chapter-by-chapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and quizzes written by community members like you. I'm not sure what exactly you are asking here. They move to Pilitz together and Jacob finds work as a teacher. Eugene D. Genovese, "Toward a Psychology of Slavery: An Assessment of the Contribution of. "[4] Elkins also dismisses Phillips's claim that African American slaves were innately submissive "Sambos". This guide covers the 1979 Oxford University Press edition. The children are still clean, whereas slavery has sullied her and the other slaves who lived under it. "Reevaluating the Antebellum Slave Community: A Comparative Perspective". Chapter 104. The Slave was a novel written by Polish author Isaac Bashevis Singer and was published in 1962. This book paints a picture of some slaves obeying slave owners while others resisted their bondage and tried to escape. Check out our sample guides: A SuperSummary Plot Summary provides a quick, full synopsis of a text. Spartacus is one of the slaves he buys. See for yourself. "[74], Unless noted, all citations from The Slave Community are from the 1979 revised edition, African cultural retention and slave culture. The most dangerous of slavery's effects is its negative impact on the former slaves' senses of self, and the novel contains multiple examples of self-alienation. "[9], According to Blassingame, African culture was not entirely removed from slave culture through the process of enslavement and "was much more resistant to the bludgeons that was slavery than historians have hitherto suspected. But the attraction is too overwhelming for him to resist, and they have sex. Blassingame states there is overwhelming evidence of enslaved peoples undying love of freedom in defiance of their circumstances (192). Members will be prompted to log in or create an account to redeem their group membership. thissection. John W. Blassingame, "Using the Testimony of Ex-Slaves: Approaches and Problems", George P. Rawick, "Some Notes on a Social Analysis of Slavery: A Critique and Assessment of. The fight with Covey causes Douglass to regain his spirit and defiance, as well as his resolve to be free. Douglass recalls that he loved them and that they operated together as a single community. (one code per order). They encouraged monogamous relationships to "make it easier to discipline their slaves. Georgia. History and African sections. Then Auld suddenly changes his mind and sends Douglass back to Baltimore with Hugh Auld. (1973). At the school Spartacus learns how to fight as a gladiator. Stampp's study lacks the racist interpretation found in American Negro Slavery and approaches the issue from the position that there is no innate difference between blacks and whites. Douglass writes travel passes, signed by their master, for each of them. This propels Jacob on a crisis of faith, as he feels torn between the forces of good and evil. Douglass spends time at home recovering, and later he becomes an apprentice at Hugh Aulds own shipyard. In chapter one of the slave community book, the author initiates the chapter with a poem by Robert Hayden that's basically telling the horrors of the middle passage, the trips the Africans took to the Americas. Blassingame responded to questions and critiques from the panel. Some enslaved people went on to become fugitives or engage in revolts. Douglass remains in jail because he is identified as the leader and instigator. Chapter-by-chapter summaries and multiple sections of expert analysis, The ultimate resource for assignments, engaging lessons, and lively book discussions. When four of Gardners white apprentices attack Douglass, Douglass enjoys neither the right to defend himself nor the right see his attackers punished for their crime. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. [45], The importance of The Slave Community as one of the first studies of slavery from the perspective of the slave was recognized by historians. He describes how white interviewers often deleted material contrary to the paternalistic image of the antebellum South which they wanted to present. While Garrison and Phillips make a direct connection between Douglass and the Revolutionaries, Douglass uses a reference to the Revolutionaries to highlight the differences between the plight of slaves and the glamour of the Revolutionaries battle for rights. While he admits that "slave interviews rival autobiographies in their revelations about the internal dynamics of bondage, the heavy editing of the WPA interviews makes them far more difficult to utilize than black autobiographies. Bringing African's over to America brought a whole new culture to America. In John W. Blassingames own words, This book describes and analyzes the life of the black slave: his African heritage, culture, family, acculturation, behavior, religion, and personality (xi). These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community. More books than SparkNotes. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for The Slave Community: Plantation Life in the Antebellum South - 1972 PB at the best online prices at eBay! In these "invisible churches", slaves could discuss freedom, liberty, and the judgment of God against slaveowners. What source or textbook are you using for your questions. The few exceptions include Charles S. Sydnor. He continues, "Given the concern with the 'personal autonomy' and culture of the slave, much of the book is devoted to the African heritage; to slave music, religion, and folklore; and to the discussion of the slave family and other personal relationships." Thanks Writer Lyla you are indeed awesome . Kaye, Anthony E. "'In the Neighborhood': Toward a Human Geography of U.S. Slave Society". Instead it was much more resistant to the bludgeons that was slavery than historians have hitherto suspected (Blassingame, 34 35). Douglass explains that this strategy helps keep blacks enslaved. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Preface by William Lloyd Garrison & Letter from Wendell Phillips, Preface by William Lloyd Garrison & Letter from Wendell Phillips, Frederick Douglass and Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass Background. He notes that arguments against the use of these autobiographies used by historians revolve around reliability: "Many historians refuse to use these accounts because they have felt the fugitive, as the primary sufferer in the institution, was unable to give an objective account of bondage. This model of social support competes with the model of heroic individualism through the end of Douglasss Narrative. Well occasionally send you promo and account related email. Other religious survivals noted by Blassingame include funeral rites, grave decorating, and ritualistic dancing and singing. He decides to return, and he takes her as his wife. Southern slaves often included African animals like elephants, lions, and monkeys as characters in their folk tales. Rawick, "Some Notes on a Social Analysis of Slavery", pp. [57] Rawick states that Blassingame's "first major error lies in adopting the very questionable deterministic social psychological role theories associated with Erving Goffman and Harry Stack Sullivan." Type your requirements and Ill connect you to By entering your email address you agree to receive emails from SparkNotes and verify that you are over the age of 13. He mentions it because this shows the reader that slavery is very very complicated and cannot be 100% understood. Blassingame's The Slave Community, Chapter 1 Sub-saharan African dances teach social patterns and values and help people work, mature, praise or criticize members of the community while celebrating festivals and funerals, competing, reciting history, proverbs and poetry; and to encounter gods. Community; Douglass is to learn the trade of ship caulking. "[10] "African survivals" persisted in the form of folk tales, religion and spirituality, music and dance, and language. Originally published in 1972, the book was heavily revised, expanded, and republished in 1979. on 2-49 accounts, Save 30% to start your free trial of SparkNotes Plus. Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of The Slave Community by John W. Blassingame. He argues that slaves had instead been infantilized, or "made" into Sambos, by the brutal treatment received at the hands of slaveowners and overseers. Bentley is a minister with white slave owners Why does blassingame mention george bentley? Douglasss previous masters have all shared one or both of two traits: hypocritical piety or inconsistent brutality. A cultural and social history, The Slave Community purports to explore the lived experience and cultural activities of enslaved people as well as their relationships with each other and white people in the Southern United States. Instead, Blassingame suggests that black American slaves were instead forced to endure servant hood at the expense of their culture, family life, religion and life values. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. As an isolated figure, he appropriately resembles the protagonist of a traditional comingofage story. See the difference for yourself. Music, songs, and dances were similar to those performed or played in Africa. Douglass also attributes the comfort of the year to his solidarity with the other slaves. Blassingame wanted to "solve the myriad dilemmas posed by George Bentley", but he also wanted to answer the questions, challenges, and critiques raised by scholars since the publication of The Slave Community. According to Blassingame, these personality types were important to white slave owners because obvioulsy they wanted the Sambo type of slave because they could be counted upon to perform their duties without causing problems. Therefore, Blassingame concludes: Like most personal documents, the autobiography provides a window to the larger world. Focusing on the perspective of the slave, new studies incorporated the slave narratives and WPA interviews: George Rawick's From Sunup to Sundown: The Making of the Black Community (1972), Eugene D. Genovese's Roll, Jordan, Roll: The World the Slaves Made (1974), Peter H. Wood, Black Majority: Negroes in Colonial South Carolina from 1670 Through the Stono Rebellion (1974), Leslie Howard Owens's This Species of Property: Slave Life and Culture in the Old South (1976), Herbert G. Gutman's The Black Family in Slavery and Freedom, 17501925 (1976), Lawrence W. Levine's Black Culture and Black Consciousness: Afro-American Folk Thought from Slavery to Freedom (1977), and Albert J. Raboteau's Slave Religion: The "Invisible Institution" in the Antebellum South (1978). Become fugitives or engage in revolts E. `` 'In the Neighborhood ': Toward a Psychology of slavery an. 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Faith, as well as his resolve to be free minister with white Slave owners does! Does Blassingame mention george bentley like most personal documents, the white man had to portray Slave. Passes, signed by their master, for each of them to attempt an sometime. White man had to portray the Slave was a novel written by Polish author Isaac Bashevis Singer and was in... Members can use the joining link below to redeem their group membership man whistling in the dark to bolster courage! To attempt an escape sometime during the year, sets about offering his fellow the... For each of them feels abandoned by him back to Baltimore with Hugh Auld return, ritualistic.
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