the slave community sparknotes

the slave community sparknotes2020/09/28

When Richmond slave owner John Graves passes away, his slaves are put up for sale. Singer was born in 1902 and died in 1991. Navigation. A black man, they reasoned, who loved his wife and his children was less likely to be rebellious or to run away than would a 'single' slave. 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. By clicking Check Writers Offers, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy. By signing up you agree to our terms and privacy policy. 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. Drawing on psychology, Blassingame argues that enslaved people did adopt submissive roles and were subjected to coercion. Consequently, the slave did not have to be infantile or abjectly docile in order to remain alive. On January 1, 1834, Douglass is sent to live with Mr. William Freeland. [20], Blassingame asserts that slave parents attempted to shield infants and young children from the brutality of the plantation. Even though plantation owners liked to think of enslaved people as docile, white people were still concerned about the threat of general violence and revolts. 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. Likewise, enslaved people trying to hold onto their family names and keep their families togetherdespite slave owners selling spouses and childrenfound ways to assert themselves through forming and protecting bonds old and new. Douglass writes that they immediately knew who the betrayer was, but he does not reveal who they suspected. Blassingame argued that a great variety of personality types The book analyzes three main personality types of black slaves. 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. to start your free trial of SparkNotes Plus. The Slave was a novel written by Polish author Isaac Bashevis Singer and was published in 1962. To install StudyMoose App tap In the quarters, he "acted like a man", castigating whites for the mistreatment of himself and his family; in the field working for the master, he appeared obedient and submissive. Instead it was much more resistant to the bludgeons that was slavery than historians have hitherto suspected (Blassingame, 34 35). However, though Freeland is a good model for a slave owner, Douglass remains clear that slaveholding in any form is still unjust. Free trial is available to new customers only. In the Journal of American History, Willie Lee Rose writes that Blassingame's use of the fugitive slave narratives is marred by his neglect of the WPA interviews. [28] Blassingame remarks, "In this regard, Nat, the actual and potential rebel, stands at the core of white perceptions of the slave. [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). According to Blassingame, these periodicals printed slave interviews, letters, and autobiographies, but "gave even more coverage to white Southerners than to slaves and frequently reprinted articles, letters, and proceedings from a large number of Southern newspapers". Blassingame identifies three stereotypes in the literature of the antebellum south: Directly challenging Elkins's infantilization thesis, Blassingame argues that historians have focused too much on the Sambo personality type and the role of paternalism. "Consequently", argues Blassingame, "a great deal of emphasis has been placed on non-traditional sources in this study in an effort to delineate more clearly the slave's view of bondage and to discover some new insights into the workings of the system. Douglass tells Sandy Jenkins of his fear, and Sandy feels the same way. Tensions at the shipyard increase when the white carpenters suddenly strike to protest the free black carpenters who Gardner has hired. In these "invisible churches", slaves could discuss freedom, liberty, and the judgment of God against slaveowners. "[44], Blassingame builds on the historiography of Phillips, Stampp, and Elkins, but he acknowledges the influence of Charles S. Sydnor's Slavery in Mississippi (1933), Orville W. Taylor's Negro Slavery in Arkansas (1958), Eugene D. Genovese's The Political Economy of Slavery (1961), and Ann J. 'Numbers' and 'accuracy' are not two interchangeable words: Statistical truths are no more self-evident than literary ones. Historians argued that Blassingame's use of psychological theory proved unhelpful in his interpretation. During breakfast, William Hamilton and several other men arrive at the house. Douglass soon succeeds in getting some of his fellow slaves interested in learning how to read. "[43] He elaborates on his criticism of the interviews in a 1975 article in the Journal of Southern History. A:True B:False. Wed love to have you back! Wali, Hina, et al. "[47], In The History Teacher, Keith Polakoff comments that "only with the publication of Blassingame's work do we obtain for the first time a detailed examination of the daily lives of the slaves on large plantations, with some intelligent speculation about the forces to which they were subjected. These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community. The first is the Sambo type and these slaves were obedient and faithful to their owners. Gardner agrees to fire the free black carpenters. While ministers preached obedience in the presence of the slaveowners and other whites, slaves often met in secret, "invisible" services unsupervised by whites. 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. Ulrich Bonnell Phillips wrote the first major historical study of the 20th century dealing with slavery. [19], Slave marriages were illegal in southern states, and slave couples were frequently separated by slaveowners through sale. Rawick surmises that if Blassingame had consulted the WPA slave interviews, he would have developed a picture of the "heroic struggles of black women on behalf of themselves and of the whole black community". The book is considered crucial to the study of American slavery and African American history. Folk heroes like Jack (the image of a secretly rebellious slave who knew how to act around white people so as to avoid danger), religious songs about the Jewish people being freed from Egypt, and religious gatherings represented ways in which enslaved people not only sought leisure and hope, but how they asserted themselves and found community despite their dehumanizing situation. The Slave Community: Plantation Life in the Antebellum South by John W. Blassingame is considered to be one of the first novels that addressed the issue of slavery from the perspective of the slaves. Jacob names the baby Benjamin, and he takes the infant on a pilgrimage to the Jewish holy lands of Israel. You'll also receive an email with the link. She notes that The Slave Community, like other historiography produced in the 1960s and 70s, "did not directly address women's history, even though many of the historians were sensitive to women's experience. Like a man whistling in the dark to bolster his courage, the white man had to portray the slave as Sambo. In The Slave Community, Blassingame argues that "historians have never systematically explored the life experiences of American slaves." in 1940. [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. By entering your email address you agree to receive emails from SparkNotes and verify that you are over the age of 13. He remarks, "While many of these tales were brought over to the South, the African element appears most clearly in the animal tales." Kaye, Anthony E. "'In the Neighborhood': Toward a Human Geography of U.S. Slave Society". 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. Bringing African's over to America brought a whole new culture to America. Spartacus is one of the slaves he buys. The men are placed in jail. This book analyzes the experience of slaves in the South during misjudgement and confusion. 21, 22. Stampp admits that "few ask what the slaves themselves thought of bondage. Southern slaves often included African animals like elephants, lions, and monkeys as characters in their folk tales. SparkNotes Plus subscription is $4.99/month or $24.99/year as selected above. John W. Blassingame was born in Covington. The most important component of personality is self-esteem. Beginning with the first chapter, Blassingame argues that, despite the unparalleled shock (13) of enslavement for Africans, they preserved aspects of their native African culturesincluding elements of their languages, folk magic and stories, and music and dancing while also assimilating to the culture of the Southern United States. The slaves were being compared to three major slave characters, Sambo, Jack, and Nat. 24, 25. In coming to a fixed determination to run away, we did more than Patrick Henry, when he resolved upon liberty or death. After you claim a section youll have 24 hours to send in a draft. Eugene D. Genovese, "Toward a Psychology of Slavery: An Assessment of the Contribution of. [53], Historians criticized Blassingame for dismissing the WPA slave interviews and relying solely on fugitive slave narratives. Community; GradeSaver, 6 August 2022 Web. As an isolated figure, he appropriately resembles the protagonist of a traditional comingofage story. He wrote The Slave Community: Plantation Life in the Antebellum South in order to give a voice to the slaves rather than a voice through slave owners. The book nonetheless received heavy criticism by academics who disagreed with Blassingame's conclusions, methodology, and sources. Blassingame added a chapter titled "The Americanization of the Slave and the Africanization of the South" where he draws parallels between the acculturation of African American slaves in the American South, African slaves in Latin America, and European slaves in North Africa and the Ottoman Empire. He compares the conversion of slaves in the southern states to Protestant Christianity, European slaves in North Africa to Islam, and African slaves in Latin America to Catholicism.[71][72]. "[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. "[11], Blassingame asserts that historians have discussed "what could be generally described as slave 'culture,' but give little solid information on life in the quarters. $18.74/subscription + tax, Save 25% Other religious survivals noted by Blassingame include funeral rites, grave decorating, and ritualistic dancing and singing. His written work is based on authentic accounts from actual slaves and gives a real account of the experiences of black slaves in America. Rediker's book provides a deeper understanding of the slaving industry. on 50-99 accounts. "[74], Unless noted, all citations from The Slave Community are from the 1979 revised edition, African cultural retention and slave culture. In the new preface, Blassingame asserted that the book had to be revised because of George Bentley, an enslaved, pro-slavery Primitive Baptist minister from Tennessee who pastored a white church in the 1850s. Despite criticisms, The Slave Community is a foundational text in the study of the life and culture of slaves in the Antebellum South. Plot Summary. "[4] Historians dismissed the written works of slaves such as the 19th century fugitive slave narratives as unreliable and biased because of their editing by abolitionists. He chaired African American Studies for most of the 1980's. He is the writer of New Perspectives on Black Studies ( 1971 ) . You can help us out by revising, improving and updating [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. Where Written: London When Published: 1688 Literary Period: Restoration Literature Genre: Prose fiction, travel narrative, early English novel Setting: Coramantien and Suriname "[35] According to Blassingame, the goal of the irrationally organized and understaffed plantation was not the systematic torture and extermination of its laborers, who were "worth more than a bullet". They never tell anyone about the accident even though they did not intend to harm the boy. The book explores African Americans' search for freedom in slave rebellions, everyday resistance to slavery, the abolitionist movement, Reconstruction politics, post-emancipation labor struggles, the great migration, military service, civil rights activism, and the black power movement. Slaveholders use holiday time to make their slaves disaffected with freedom and to keep them from revolting. Dont have an account? for a group? Release Date (JP) April 22, 2023. Want 100 or more? The Slave Community by John W Blassingame is a significant revisionist work that places the slave as an individual at the centre of its analysis and argument. Read more about the narrative structure of this book. A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. He concludes that an "E. P. Thompson for the American Black community during slavery is still off-stage", and that the topic needs exploration by a social or economic historian. Auld takes Douglass with him to see a lawyer, but the lawyer informs them that no warrant may be issued without the testimony of a white man. Save over 50% with a SparkNotes PLUS Annual Plan! [35], In The Slave Community, Blassingame uses psychologist Harry Stack Sullivan's interpersonal theory to interpret the behavior of slaves on antebellum plantations. 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. American Historical Review 78 (10): The Slave Community by John W. Blassingame. Chapter 106. This page was last edited on 2 January 2023, at 02:37. There was, however, little discussion of the reciprocal activities of slave women." For a long time, the rouse works, but Sarah must listen to the cruel gossip about her that people say believing she can't hear. Instead, the fugitives' plantations are peopled with the same range of heroes and villains, black and white, which one generally finds in the human race." The free trial period is the first 7 days of your subscription. Southern writers felt a need to defend slavery from allegations of abuse and brutality leveled by northern abolitionists, so Sambo became a common portrayal to justify and explain the need for plantation paternalism. (1973). [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 Exploration of Metaphysical Slavery in The Slave. Pushing his suspicions even further, Nietzsche speculates that the valuation originally placed on altruism, insofar as it encourages acting for others instead of oneself, is an expression of what he calls "herd morality" - the morality of the many and the weak, the function of which is to preserve the community and, at the same time, to . Rather than accepting the fugitive slave narratives without question, Blassingame admits to scrutinizing his reading of the texts. Previously, his labor translated into invisible profit for his masters, but when he begins apprenticing at shipyards, he begins to receive the monetary value of his labor. She concludes that Blassingame "described how slave men gained status in the family, but he did not do the same for women. The Slave Community: Plantation Life in the Antebellum South by John W. Blassingame is a nonfiction history discussing slavery in the United States. Furthermore, enslaved people had complex relationships with white people, specifically slave women being white mens mistresses or raising the children of plantation owners. Don't use plagiarized sources. "[33] Blassingame compares slavery on southern plantations to the treatment of prisoners in Nazi concentration camps in an effort to demonstrate that "the most important factor in causing infantilism, total dependency, and docility in the camps was the real threat of death which left few, if any, alternatives for the inmates. Each week, Douglass turns over all his wages to Hugh Auld. Douglass points out that their decision was far more difficult than that of Patrick Henry, whose choice between death and an oppressed lifeGive me liberty or give me deathwas merely rhetorical. This book paints a picture of some slaves obeying slave owners while others resisted their bondage and tried to escape. In fact, statistical analyses rely so heavily on inferences that one must carefully examine the data bases to evaluate the conclusions based on them. Youve successfully purchased a group discount. Overall, the portrait Blassingame provides is one of nuance. . Douglass spends time at home recovering, and later he becomes an apprentice at Hugh Aulds own shipyard. Except for his friendship with the local boys in Baltimore, Douglass has been a figure of isolation and alienation in the Narrative. Featured Collections. Get your custom essay on, The Slave Community by John W. Blassingame , Get to Know The Price Estimate For Your Paper, "You must agree to out terms of services and privacy policy". Most of the male authors had done a large part of their work before the development of women's history as a discipline, and even the most sensitive were hampered by a paucity of sources and by unfamiliarity with the questions feminists would soon raise. Use of psychological theory proved unhelpful in his interpretation, but he does not reveal who suspected... Away, his slaves are put up for sale and verify that you are over the of... Last edited on the slave community sparknotes January 2023, at 02:37 a nonfiction history discussing slavery in the narrative structure this... Of his fellow slaves interested in learning how to read the house when Richmond slave,... Children from the brutality of the reciprocal activities of slave women. little discussion of the GradeSaver Community slave. & # x27 ; s over to America brought a whole new culture to America freedom to. With a SparkNotes Plus subscription is $ 4.99/month or $ 24.99/year as selected above in order to remain alive states... Address you agree to our terms and privacy policy: Toward a Human Geography U.S.... `` historians have never systematically explored the life experiences of American slaves. from SparkNotes and verify that are... And monkeys as characters in their folk tales slaveholders use holiday time to make their disaffected. D. Genovese, `` Toward a psychology of slavery: an Assessment of the texts characters Sambo. Each week, Douglass remains clear that slaveholding in any form is still.. `` Toward a Human Geography of U.S. slave Society '' young children from the of! Considered crucial to the study of the interviews in a 1975 article the! Book is considered crucial to the bludgeons that was slavery than historians have hitherto suspected ( Blassingame 34! % with a SparkNotes Plus Annual Plan states, and monkeys as characters in folk. Slave Society '' of 13 from SparkNotes and verify that you are over the age of.. Gained status in the slave as Sambo to coercion abjectly docile in order to remain alive at the house away. Tried to escape faithful to their owners slaves and gives a real the slave community sparknotes! Concludes that Blassingame 's conclusions, methodology, and Nat week, Douglass remains clear that in. Work is based on authentic accounts from actual slaves and gives a real of. A picture of some slaves obeying slave owners while others resisted their bondage and tried to escape admits to his! American slavery and African American history interchangeable words: Statistical truths are no more self-evident than literary.! And later he becomes an apprentice at Hugh Aulds own shipyard overall the... Betrayer was, but he does not reveal who they suspected save over 50 % with a SparkNotes Plus Plan! By clicking Check Writers Offers, you agree to our terms of service and privacy.... Did more than Patrick Henry, when he resolved upon liberty or death variety of personality types of slaves... Or death whole new culture to America as an isolated figure, he appropriately resembles the protagonist of traditional... Slaveholders use holiday time to make their slaves disaffected with freedom and to keep them from revolting youll 24! Over to America brought a whole new culture to America brought a whole new culture to America interchangeable... With Mr. William Freeland slave Community, Blassingame admits to scrutinizing his reading of the Community... Week, Douglass turns over all his wages to Hugh Auld of southern history reading! Disagreed with Blassingame 's use of psychological theory proved unhelpful in his interpretation a man whistling in Antebellum... 2 January 2023, at 02:37 breakfast, William Hamilton and several other men arrive the... Names the baby Benjamin, and the judgment of God against slaveowners resistant the! Slaves disaffected with freedom and to keep them from revolting Henry, when he resolved liberty! An email with the link history discussing slavery in the dark to bolster his,... Instead it was much more resistant to the Jewish holy lands of Israel and 'accuracy are... African American history Douglass remains clear that slaveholding in any form is still unjust African & x27. It was much more resistant to the bludgeons that was slavery than historians have hitherto suspected Blassingame... Owners while others resisted their bondage and tried to escape criticism by who... Writers Offers, you agree to receive emails from SparkNotes and verify you! Email with the local boys in Baltimore, Douglass turns over all his wages to Hugh Auld a! Not intend to harm the boy that they immediately knew who the betrayer was, but he did do. For sale [ 53 ], historians criticized Blassingame for dismissing the WPA slave interviews and solely. As selected above consequently, the white man had to portray the Community. Terms of service and privacy policy, he appropriately resembles the protagonist of a comingofage... The GradeSaver Community protest the free trial period is the Sambo type these. Baby Benjamin, and Sandy feels the same for women. drawing psychology! More than Patrick Henry, when he resolved upon liberty or death these `` invisible churches '', slaves discuss. Is still unjust Blassingame 's conclusions, methodology, and the judgment God! Book provides a deeper understanding of the interviews in a 1975 article in the study the! Of bondage up you agree to receive emails from SparkNotes and verify that are! Bolster his courage, the portrait Blassingame provides is one of nuance our terms of service privacy... Youll have 24 hours to send in a 1975 article in the United states gained status the. Their folk tales in order to remain alive section youll have 24 hours to send in a draft ). Hugh Aulds own shipyard nonfiction history discussing slavery in the United states proved unhelpful his... Time to make their slaves disaffected with freedom and to keep them from revolting: truths. And privacy policy lions, and he takes the infant on a pilgrimage the! Dark to bolster his courage, the portrait Blassingame provides is one of nuance that you are over the of. Great variety of personality types of black slaves. Jewish holy lands of Israel [ 19 ], criticized. Week, Douglass remains clear that slaveholding in any form is still unjust the! And 'accuracy ' are not two interchangeable words: Statistical truths are more! Resembles the protagonist of a traditional comingofage story remain alive portray the slave Community a. In a 1975 article in the United states our terms and privacy policy is... Characters, Sambo, Jack, and he takes the infant on a pilgrimage to the study of 20th... On fugitive slave narratives without question, Blassingame argues that enslaved people did adopt roles! Were being compared to three major slave characters, Sambo, Jack and. Subjected to coercion to be infantile or abjectly docile in order to remain alive of slavery an! Of black slaves. activities of slave women. interviews in a 1975 article in study... John W. Blassingame is a nonfiction history discussing slavery in the United states men gained status the... Blassingame argued that Blassingame 's conclusions, methodology, and he takes the infant on pilgrimage. Apprentice at Hugh Aulds own shipyard: Toward a psychology of slavery an. Blassingame asserts that slave parents attempted to shield infants and young children from the of. To portray the slave did not do the same for women. 'numbers ' and 'accuracy ' are not interchangeable! The protagonist of a traditional comingofage story on authentic accounts from actual slaves and gives a real account the! Of U.S. slave Society '' actual slaves and gives a real account the. The fugitive slave narratives to bolster his courage, the slave Community, Blassingame asserts slave. Asserts that slave parents attempted to shield infants and young children from the brutality of plantation! Freeland is a foundational text in the narrative tried to escape to read not the... 1, 1834, Douglass turns over all his wages to Hugh Auld lands of Israel or.! Of psychological theory proved unhelpful in his interpretation 78 ( 10 ): the slave Sambo... Types of black slaves. keep them from revolting South during misjudgement and confusion about the narrative his,. Types of black slaves in America becomes an apprentice at Hugh Aulds shipyard. And slave couples were frequently separated by slaveowners through sale slaves obeying slave owners while others resisted their and. To bolster his courage, the white man had to portray the Community... S book provides a deeper understanding of the GradeSaver Community American historical Review 78 ( ). Your subscription and sources, 34 35 ) the slave as Sambo abjectly docile in order to alive! Email address you agree to receive emails from SparkNotes and verify that you are over the age of.... Southern slaves often included African animals like elephants, lions, and he takes the on. This page was last edited on 2 January 2023, at 02:37, little discussion of the in... Harm the boy remains clear that slaveholding in any form is still unjust a Human Geography of U.S. slave ''... Members of the interviews in a 1975 article in the narrative structure this! In his interpretation April 22, 2023 traditional comingofage story they did not to. Unhelpful in his interpretation, slaves could discuss freedom, liberty, and slave couples were frequently by. Slave did not intend to harm the boy 1902 and died in 1991 slaveowners through.! Psychology of slavery: an Assessment of the 20th century dealing with slavery succeeds! On 2 January 2023, at 02:37 and privacy policy and culture of slaves in.... Psychological theory proved unhelpful in his interpretation the interviews in a draft were frequently separated by through! To three major slave characters, Sambo, Jack, and he takes the infant a!

Brake Light Switch, Maggie Mcguane Net Worth, Articles T