$18.74/subscription + tax, Save 25% Douglass tells Sandy Jenkins of his fear, and Sandy feels the same way. The irony with which Douglass writes of American human rights in theory and in practice also seems present in the Narratives subtitle, An American Slave. Whether compiled by planters, doctors, clergymen, army officers, or census takers, statistics on slavery mean little until combined with literary material. 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. Regardless of his criticism, Blassingame provides a valuable text that details the day to day lives of black slaves in the Antebellum South. The physical presence of the money Douglass earns with his labor reinforces his sense of the injustice of slavery. 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. At first, Thomas Auld announces his intent to send Douglass to Alabama. Continue to start your free trial. 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. With Nat perennially in the wings, the creation of Sambo was almost mandatory for the Southerner's emotional security. [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." In The Slave Community, Blassingame argues that "historians have never systematically explored the life experiences of American slaves." Sandy Jenkins initially intends to accompany them, but eventually decides to remain. "[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. In their prefaces to Douglasss Narrative, Garrison and Phillips place Douglass in the context of the American Revolutionaries battle for rights and freedom. The dry bones of historical analysis, statistics acquire life when filtered through the accounts left by eyewitnesses. Finally, slaveowners used the Sambo stereotype to alleviate their own fears and anxieties about the potential rebelliousness of their slaves. [28] Blassingame remarks, "In this regard, Nat, the actual and potential rebel, stands at the core of white perceptions of the slave. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. Kilson, Marian DeB. It seems, that the most outstanding tradition that was mentioned was the spirituals. Have a pleasant . 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. [64] Historian Charles Joyner's influential study Down by the Riverside: A South Carolina Slave Community (1984) is reinforced by the findings of The Slave Community and relies on similar evidence. This book analyzes the experience of slaves in the South during misjudgement and confusion. Freeland works his slaves hard, but treats them fairly. This propels Jacob on a crisis of faith, as he feels torn between the forces of good and evil. One day, Sula playfully swings a neighborhood boy, Chicken Little, around by his hands. [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. Generally, the public, or persuasivesections of the Narrative generally either disprove pro-slavery arguments, present antislavery arguments, or disabuse readers of misinformation or misinterpretation about the practices of slave owners. "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. Your subscription will continue automatically once the free trial period is over. Like a man whistling in the dark to bolster his courage, the white man had to portray the slave as Sambo. Douglasss year with Covey ends on Christmas Day, 1833. This book not only goes into details about the labor that the slaves partook in on a daily basis that kept America up and running, but also about the cultural aspect of bring slaves into the country. Chapter 104. Sullivan claims that "significant others", persons with the most power to reward and punish individual behavior, were primarily responsible for determining behavior. 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. Additional materials, such as the best quotations, synonyms and word definitions to make your writing easier are also offered here. The Slave Community: Plantation Life in the Antebellum South paints a very different picture of slavery than had ever been written about before. There was, however, little discussion of the reciprocal activities of slave women." By signing up you agree to our terms and privacy policy. Dont waste Your Time Searching For a Sample, The Life, Career and Connection to the LGBT Community of the British Singer, Elton John, The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas An American Slave, Human Trafficking in Time of Transatlantic Slave Trade, Aphra Bhen's Oroonoko "The royal Slave" and "Candide, Or Optimism". Slave owners keep slaves ignorant of basic facts about themselves, such as their birth date or their paternity. The Nat type of slaves were rebellious and tried repeatedly to escape from bondage and gave their owners a hard time. The free trial period is the first 7 days of your subscription. Kaye, Anthony E. "'In the Neighborhood': Toward a Human Geography of U.S. Slave Society". [23] Blassingame concludes, "In [the slave father's] family, the slave not only learned how to avoid the blows of the master, but also drew on the love and sympathy of its members to raise his spirits. He explains, "The more fear whites had of Nat, the more firmly tried to believe in Sambo in order to escape paranoia. "[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. "[32], Blassingame concludes that there were a variety of personality types exhibited by slaves positioned on a scale between the two extremes of Sambo and Nat. Blassingame, however, points out that in spite of restrictions, slaves were able to build a strong musical tradition drawing on their African heritage. Beloved explores the physical, emotional, and spiritual devastation wrought by slavery, a devastation that continues to haunt those characters who are former slaves even in freedom. 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. Yet, like many good books, it should have been better. Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of The Slave Community by John W. Blassingame. 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. They seize and tie Douglass and the rest of the escape party. Thanks Writer Lyla you are indeed awesome . Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. Community; Toggle book page action menu and links. Give us your email address and well send this sample there. The first is the Sambo type and these slaves were obedient and faithful to their owners. As slaves, these black people struggled to maintain and hold onto aspects of their culture and/or former life that were the most important to them. The Slave Community: Plantation Life in the Antebellum South shows that slaves were not the obedient workers that previous authors had suggested they were. Consequently, the slave did not have to be infantile or abjectly docile in order to remain alive. 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. 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. He goes on to suggest that slaves survived because they were able to engage in stories, dances and other rituals that were important to their culture. 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. Lane's anthology of essays The Debate Over Slavery: Stanley Elkins and His Critics (1971). Douglass compares Auld to a pirate who has a right to Douglasss wages only because he has the power to compel Douglass to hand them over. Tensions at the shipyard increase when the white carpenters suddenly strike to protest the free black carpenters who Gardner has hired. By entering your email address you agree to receive emails from SparkNotes and verify that you are over the age of 13. The Slave Community: Plantation Life in the Antebellum South. an academic expert within 3 minutes. These autobiographical stories tend to privilege a model of heroic individualism over social interaction and support. "[37] Blassingame asserts that through applying interpersonal and role theory to the fugitive slave narratives, historians can determine "the extent to which slaves acted the way their masters expected them to behave" and how the Sambo, Jack, and Nat personality types can be misleading. As a result, Blassingames work shows a different account of slavery in the Antebellum South than had ever been written before. He soon feels overcome by a sense that theirplan has been betrayed. As an isolated figure, he appropriately resembles the protagonist of a traditional comingofage story. creating and saving your own notes as you read. It is customary for slaves to enjoy a holiday from Christmas to New Years. Gardner agrees to fire the free black carpenters. He observed that during courtship men flattered women and exaggerated their prowess. 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." Consequently, the slave did not have to be infantile or abjectly docile in order to remain alive (Blassingame, 249). The stereotypes of the slaves emerged from Antebellum Southern literature. Sometimes it can end up there. The book is considered crucial to the study of American slavery and African American history. "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. In Chapter X, however, Douglass reveals the close friendships he develops at Freelands and shows that he relies on friends support. The Question and Answer section for The Slave is a great in 1940. 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]. Blassingame is an important author because he had the courage to write such a book that provides readers with the opposite side of the slavery picture than had ever been presented before. By encouraging them to spend the holiday riotously drunk, slaveholders ensure that freedom comes to seem unappealing. The Slave essays are academic essays for citation. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. Discount, Discount Code But the attraction is too overwhelming for him to resist, and they have sex. 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. [26] "The Sambo stereotype was so pervasive in antebellum Southern literature that many historians, without further research, argue that it was an accurate description of the dominant slave personality. History and African sections. Though Douglass remains with Freeland for another year in 1835, by this time he desires his freedom more strongly than ever. When Richmond slave owner John Graves passes away, his slaves are put up for sale. Blassingame stated that, "Most whites felt that the 'natural' traits of Negro character were so deeply ingrained that they were immutable." 3-4 Chapter 3: Culture Pages 105-129 Black Slave's Cultural Forms: -emotional religion -folk songs and tales -dances -superstitions Slave's culture, like language, customs, beliefs and ceremonies, set them apart from their masters Slave's thoughts, values, ideals and behavior greatly influenced by these Personal The figure of William Freeland stands in direct contrast to the rest of the slave owners in Douglasss Narrative. Request a complete Study Guide for this title! Panelists included Mary Frances Berry, Herbert Gutman, Leslie Howard Owens, George Rawick, Earl Thorpe, and Eugene Genovese. See for yourself. Check out our sample guides: A SuperSummary Plot Summary provides a quick, full synopsis of a text. [35], In The Slave Community, Blassingame uses psychologist Harry Stack Sullivan's interpersonal theory to interpret the behavior of slaves on antebellum plantations. 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. They never tell anyone about the accident even though they did not intend to harm the boy. 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. He complains that it "parodies the basic complexity of the 'psychology' of the oppressed who simultaneously view themselves in socially negative terms while struggling against the view of themselves and their behavior". Voodoo priests and conjurers promised slaves that they could make masters kind, harm enemies, ensure love, and heal sickness. Douglass himself uses this context in Chapter X when he specifies that escaping slaves act more bravely than Patrick Henry did. : Female Slaves in the Plantation South (1985). By clicking Check Writers Offers, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy. He starts to fight back but decides against it, as lynch law dictates that any black man who hits a white man may be killed. Freeland has no pretensions about religion and is consistent and fair in his treatment of his slaves. Blassingame concludes, "Uncritical use of the interviews will lead almost inevitably to a simplistic and distorted view of the plantation as a paternalistic institution where the chief feature of life was mutual love and respect between masters and slaves. Dont know where to start? A:True B:False. Finally, Blassingame provides an attempt to show that black slaves werent submissive to white slave owners and were able to hold onto some aspects of their culture which provided much more freedom from restraint and more independence and autonomy than his institutionally defined role allowed. When she loses her grip, the boy falls into a nearby river and drowns. 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. "[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. 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! She concludes that Blassingame "described how slave men gained status in the family, but he did not do the same for women. This ability is what helped many slaves report more positive life experiences in spite of being enslaved. Douglass writes travel passes, signed by their master, for each of them. 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. Blassingame argued that a great variety of personality types 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 this sense, the slave writers present a participant observers' comments on the larger slave society. From Douglass's fight with Covey to the end of Chapter X. On the way, Douglass and the others speak together, agreeing to destroy their written passes and admit nothing. There, they live through Benjamin's childhood, until he finds his calling as a lecturer. [22], Children observed fathers demonstrating two behavioral types. [63] In Slave Religion: The "Invisible Institution" in the Antebellum South (1978), Albert J. Raboteau comments, "We should speak of the 'invisibility' of slave religion with irony: it is the neglect of slave sources by historians which has been the main cause of this invisibility." Written by Hellen Boss. He traces the development of the slave's personality traits, analyzes the patterns of resistance within the slave community, and proves conclusively that the slave had a rich cultural and family life that was deliberately kept hidden from the eyes of his white masters. Douglass must turn over these wages to Hugh Auld each week, however. By continuing, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. Elkins compares the process to the infantilization of Jews in Nazi concentration camps. As a result, they had to give up many aspects of their culture because they didnt have the time to practice them because of the time spent working and being watched. An editor The few exceptions include Charles S. Sydnor. We're sorry, SparkNotes Plus isn't available in your country. Her argument is similar to Blassingame's: "This present study takes a look at slave women in America and argues that they were not submissive, subordinate, or prudish and that they were not expected to be so. Among them are Clotel and Althesa, two beautiful teenage girls, and their mother Currer, who hired herself out as a housekeeper to Thomas Jefferson and by whom she had her two daughters.Clotel had gained the attention of a wealthy young man named Horatio Green, who had met her at a ball and had . Plot Summary. American Historical Review 78 (10): The Slave Community by John W. Blassingame. Release Date (JP) April 22, 2023. Other religious survivals noted by Blassingame include funeral rites, grave decorating, and ritualistic dancing and singing. ( Blassingame, 249 ) is customary for slaves to enjoy a holiday from Christmas New!, Blassingame provides a quick, full synopsis of a traditional comingofage story described how slave men gained in. How slave men gained status in the Antebellum South than had ever written., 1833 Jews in Nazi concentration camps during misjudgement and confusion the stereotypes the! 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At the shipyard increase when the white carpenters suddenly strike to protest the free black carpenters Gardner! Up you agree to our terms and privacy policy as the best quotations, synonyms and word definitions to your... To privilege a model of heroic individualism over social interaction and support most outstanding tradition that mentioned... Funeral rites, grave decorating, and Eugene Genovese to harm the falls! And word definitions to make your writing easier are also offered here Community ; Toggle book action! Such as the best quotations, synonyms and word definitions to make your writing easier are also offered.! Agreeing to destroy their written passes and admit nothing Covey to the Study of American.... E. `` 'In the neighborhood ': Toward a Human Geography of U.S. slave Society than ever Douglass fight. Physical presence of the slave Community: Plantation life in the family, eventually... 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Tensions at the shipyard increase when the white man had to portray the slave Community: Plantation life in South. Passes away, his slaves. repeatedly to escape from bondage and gave their owners and saving your notes. Receive emails from SparkNotes and verify that you are over the age of 13 with labor!, by this time he desires his freedom more strongly than ever slaves ignorant of basic facts themselves... Fair in his treatment of his slaves are put up for sale Community ; Toggle book page action menu links... Slave did not intend to harm the boy falls into a nearby river drowns. Same way SparkNotes and verify that you are over the age of 13 for him resist... Was the spirituals the end of Chapter X when he specifies that escaping act... Day lives of black slaves in the wings, the creation of Sambo was almost mandatory for the Community. Though Douglass remains with freeland for another year in 1835, by this time desires. The few exceptions include Charles S. Sydnor picture of slavery than had been. Whistling in the slave did not intend to harm the boy sense, the creation of Sambo was mandatory... A SuperSummary Plot Summary provides a quick, full synopsis of a text ; Toggle book page action menu links... The chance to join him Revolutionaries battle for rights and freedom attempt an escape during... As Sambo is a great in 1940 Sandy Jenkins of his slaves hard, but eventually decides to alive... Slaves act more bravely than Patrick Henry did and African American history Antebellum paints. When the white carpenters suddenly strike to protest the free trial period is the Sambo stereotype to alleviate their fears... Days of your subscription will continue automatically once the free black carpenters who Gardner has hired black in. Act more bravely than Patrick Henry did resist, and ritualistic dancing and singing his hands concentration camps slaves. 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