DUE FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2009 AT 7:45 AM
You are required to post AT LEAST one response to the questions and AT LEAST one comment on another students' response.
These are some tough questions, use each other to help answer them. You will see these questions on your next test.
1) Why do you think that slaves refer to themselves and each other as "niggers."
2) How was slavery different depending on your "occupation" or sex?
3) How were slaves able to keep their African culture alive and how is this represented in African-American culture today? (Think about rappers, church, dialect, etc.)
4) Describe how the religion that develops among the slaves contains African beliefs and traditions as well as Christian beliefs and traditions. What about the Bible may be appealing to slaves?
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28 comments:
I think they referred to themselves as "niggers" because that's what their masters called them and that's what everybody that looked down at them called them. since there was nobody above them they just thought of themselves as the lowest people.
i really dont understand the second question.
Africans today still have their own traditions and they have their own way of doing things. Rappers maybe a decade ago actually used to rap about life,struggles,love,and traditional things African Americans do. Today rap is a whole different thing. In the movie the women and men sang spiritual songs together and they danced. Churches have choir groups and they have their own organizations.
i dont understand the fourth question either.
The slaves called themselves "niggers" because that's what everyone referred to them as. So they picked it up and started calling each other "niggers."
Slavery was different for evrybody, if you worked inside the owners' house, you were treated a little better. If you worked in the fields, you were treated really bad; you were whipped and had a lot of work to do. If you were a women, you had the worst of it, you had no control over your body or anything else. You did what you were told to do.It also depended in which colony you stayed if you were in V.A, it was worst but in a smaller colony, they probably would have treated you better because there wouldn't be as many slaves.
Well since a lot of them went to church, they were able to keep their culture alive. In today's churches, a lot of the songs they made back then are still being sung today so it definitely has been passed on throughout the community. Back then, rappers actually rapped about their struggles and the problems they faced. Today, rap has definetly changed it's all about money and jewelry but some of the rappers like Common and Nas still continue that.Also today the word "nigger" is still being used.
The Bible was appealing to the slaves because it had passage about freedom. They had hope that one day they will be able to be free.
1) Well I think that the reason they referred themselves as niggers is because everyone called them niggers. I also think since they didn't know english, they thought that was what there english name was, rather than a discriminating name. I don't know for sure. If I'm right, then they just continued on passing through generation believing they were nigger's, blacks, or any name that they were referred as.
2)Well slavery for African Americans was at first the same; hard work. As time went on Slaves could either work in the plantation, or as servant and housekeepers. There were also times where the master had intimate relations with their slaves. The born baby of the white men, and black women would sometimes be favored, and cared for by the master. They had different oppositions, and sometimes born in different situations. Slavery was also different on your gender and age. If you were an adult you would work in the land, if you were a kid, you would be like the nanny of the master's children. Sometimes black women had affairs with their master.
3)Slaves were able to keep their African culture by performing it. They would sing songs, do ring dances, and pass on stories to their future generation. They mixed their religious beliefs slightly with the Christian religion. Today we see baptist, lutheran, or other different kinds of churches that may or may not have come form the African- Americans. Rappers would sing about struggle, and difficult times, and sometimes about other random things. Their songs were about struggle and hope, and they kept that alive during slavery.
4)Well in the movie, masters will bring their slaves to church, but read certain passages. They avoided sharing the passages of hope and freedom with the African slaves; they feared the slaves will get inspired. African religions are based on their ancestral beliefs and parts of the Christian bible. They might have chosen the passage of moses, which was about freeing the slaves.
lidya- the second question is asking the different jobs the slaves had. They worked in plantations and houses. They would be butlers, maids or nanny's. Depending what job they had, they either had more food, care, or clothe than others. Women where also known to have affairs or be raped by their master.
I agree with Lidya because these slaves were use to be called that way that they didn’t even notice that they were calling each other the same thing.
1. I think they referred to themselves like that because since they were young and since the y could remember they have always been called that way and I think that they got use to it.
2. It was different because most people were treated better because it depended on the job that they had. Also if you were a women most of the owners of those women took advantage of them and the women couldn’t do anything about it or even complain. Men on the other hand were treated almost the same the only thing was that their owners didn’t take advantage of them.
3. Slaves kept their religion on by dancing and singing whenever they can. This also showed them that God was always with them no matter what, and by doing these things it made their faith stronger.
4. It’s almost the same because it showed us to sing and express our faith no matter what anyone might say or think of you. These slaves also showed us that by singing it made us realize that expressing your faith is nothing to be ashamed of.
1)They refered to themselves as niggers because that was the only name, or identification, the slaves had other than their name, but their masters rarely called them by their birthname at all.
2)Women slaves were forced to marry and have children so that they could have generations more of slaves beacuse some of the other slaves were begining to die or get old then die.
3)Slaves kept their culture alive by singing songs while working out in the fields and while at church or somewhere else.Churches today have chior groups that sing songs that represent their culture and some rappers rap about traditional African American traditions.
4)I dont really understand the fourth question.
Lydia the second question is talking about the difference of being a women slave than to a male slave. like what work did they do and did they have a better life or not.
1.) They called themselves niggers because that's what they heard everyone else call them.
2.) A slave's life could be slightly better depending on his or her job & sex. Usually domestic slaves, who worked in the house were much better fed & clothed than those who worked in the fields. If you happened to be a women, your life was miserable, because owners could do anything they wanted with you & there was nothing you could do.
3.) Slaves
4.) Christianity kind of gave slaves hope. They went to church and white priests would read them verses that talked about rewards in heaven for hard work on earth. It made their life easier, I guess, to think that if they worked hard & obeyed their masters, they would get a free, wonderful life when they died.
3.)They kept their traditions alive by singing & dancing the way their African ancestors did. That culture still lives today. Rap & hip-hop is poetic rhymes with a beat to them, like the slave music once was
I agree with what shirley said about religion & slaves, because though it seemed that owners wanted their slaves to be Christians, they avoided reading passages of hope and freedom to the slaves, because they worried slaves might get ideas.
1)Slaves referring to themselves as niggers was probably something that they accultrated and grew accustomed to. Eventually they started referring to themselves as niggers because a majority of people around them did.
2)Slaves were usually classified in three occupational status's: House servants, Millers, and Common Field Slaves. Depending on your status, you were either were treated better, had nicer clothes, given better and more food to eat, and lived in different housing (differences weren't dramatic). Male slaves were usually expected to do more strenuous, physical labor. Women slaves were expected to work, and have children. Some female slaves were forced to have affairs with their masters, that sometimes resulted in children; if the women ever told her husband about the "incidents" her husband would be killed.
3)Slaves were able to keep their African culture alive by gathering at local "picnics"; where slaves would come together to sing, tell stories, and dance. Religous ceremonies and funerals also played an important role in African culture, because it kept their past alive and helped unite everyone.
Today's African society keeps these traditions alive by gathering in church and having religous ceremonies that invlolve singing, story-telling, and sometimes dancing. There are also many African American's that keep tradition alive by rapping and talking about life's journey and it's struggles. There are also African Americans that speak in the same dialect that their ancestors did when they were slaves.
4)Slaves were encouraged by their masters to read certain passages from the Christian bible. Certain passages about freedom and escape from slavery (which were not supposed to be read), gave them hope that they might one day be free as well. Since then they have collaborated their beliefs with the beliefs of christians into their own religion.
I agree with Ximena's comment on African American religion:
"They went to church and white priests would read them verses that talked about rewards in heaven for hard work on earth. It made their life easier, I guess, to think that if they worked hard & obeyed their masters, they would get a free, wonderful life when they died."
Although it was wrong for the priests to hide certain biblical passages from the slaves for their desired end, it was good that it made slaves lives easier, knowing that they would be rewarded for their hard work when they went to heaven.
2. Slavery wasn't fair to all people,but some were were treated better than others.
The women were treated horrible & they had no control over their bodies and if they try to take control or resist they get whipped.
If you were working in the fields you had to work very hard or you will get punished. You had to do everything and anything your master tells you to do or they will whip you if you disobey them.
If you were a slave working in the house you were treated a little bit better,but you were still a slave.
If you were a slave in a big colony like,Virginia you were treated terrible! And the masters did whatever they wanted to do to the slaves because they can go get another one. On the other hand if were a slave in a smaller colony you were treated bad because you were still a slave for them but the masters wouldn't just kill you simply because there wasn't as many slaves.
1)I agree with Jelani. "Niggers" was like another name for the slaves other than their birth names.
2)Some slaves worked at owners home, which was better than working full time in the fields. the punishment for both men and women was mostly the same.
3)The slaves were able to keep their culture alive by singing.
I agree with Brandon when he says that "it was good that it made slaves lives easier, knowing that they would be rewarded for their hard work when they went to heaven."
It kinda motivated them to work harder.
1. The slaves referred to themselves or each others as NIGGERS because their skin color is black and they were referred as black people. So that was why the slaves called themselves as niggers to remember where they came from.
2. The slaves were different because some of the slaves work in their masters houses and they were treated a little bit nicer. There were not that many people who work in their masters house. The slaves who worked in a plantation were treated badly because they were too many for the masters to treat they nicer.
3. The slaves were able to keep their African culture by dancing and singing.
4.The religion that develop among the slaves were Christianity. They had their little choir that they sand as a group.
I agree with Ximena because Christianity was what the slaves attached to. The priest always tells them how they will rejoiced in heaven if they work hard but didn't tell them when they will be freed from slavery.
they called themselves niggers because thats what they heard everyone else call them, they just got used to it and started calling eachother niggers.
slavert was different for women because the owners would take advantage of them, also they would take care of the children. for then men they would be the ones doing all the field work and mostly the hard work.
what the African Americans did to keep there culture alive was that they sang songs, danced, went to church. This is still going today by the AFrican Americans go to church and pray together..
i dont understand this question.
i agree with Brandon on the 3rd question on how the African American culture is still happening today..
1. I think they were referred to as "niggers" because they were very low in class, and noone respected them nor treated them right. They were treated like animals.
2.I agree with Sonia, slavery was different for everyone. Some were treated good, if they owned a few slaves,or even if they didnt own a few slaves. Others were treated very poorly, like animals, with no respect.
3.Many of the slaves attended church so they were able to keep their culture within them. They sang, made beats, and enjoyed themselves. Today in many of the churches people still continue to sing the songs that the slaves sang back then. Rappers today also just make beats,sing/rap and enjoy what they do.
4. The slaves masters allowed them to read ceratin scrpitures only. Like Shirley said they avoided sharing the passages of hope and freedom with the African slaves.African religion is based on what they believed and their ancestors.
1)I think the reasons slaves referred to themselves as "niggers" for many reasons. One, that was basically the only name they heard from their slave owners. In the owners eyes, slaves weren't equivalent to any non-slave person. Most of the people around the slaves just saw them and a "nigger slave," and nothing more, so they began to see themselves as that.
2)Depending on if the slaves lived and worked in the house opposed to working in the fields, slaves were treated very differently. When a working slave tending to the children, cooked, and cleaned, they were generally clothed, clean, and the treatment was much better. Slaves working in the fields got the worst treatment. They had much different responsibilities than the indoor slaves but they were expected of so much, and if it wasn't all there they would be beat so badly. If you were a woman slave, a lot of the time male slave owners would rape, and abuse you for their own pleasure. Some times, slave owners would make the husband of the woman slave go work on the fields so he could rape his wife. The women were never allowed to fight back, or say ANYTHING to their husbands or they were severly beaten. Men slaves also were treated badly unless they were a butler or worked in the house, in which they got a slightly better life. All around every slaves life was still pretty bad.
3)Slaves sang, wrote songs, played music, dance and at funerals they would praise God. Rappers sing about the struggle of being an average Black man in todays society. They are sometimes automatically looked at as a bad person, a drug dealer or a gang banger just because of their skin. Slaves also were looked at and taken as slaves because of their skin. So by performing, wether its by singing, dancing, or praising the slaves kept their culture alive and passed it to people today.
4)Slaves were taken to church by their pastors and were encouraged to read certain bible passages. The passages were about respecting your owner, listening to what they say, do what you were told. Slave owners were scared slaves would be inspired by the rest of the bible, so they just wanted to read the passages which would better their own life. Passages such as Moses which he led his people from slavery would inspire slaves. This would give them hope that God will soon save them too.
Felix you made a great point, but I also think it was more than just their skin color which made them refer to themselves as a nigger. Slaves were always called niggers by their slave owners and other non slaves so they just got to accustomed to it. Therefore they began to just use it as if it was their name. =[
1. I think that African Americans refered to themselves as "niggers" because they were born into slavery and to them it was, sadly, their name.
2. Slavery differed by age and sex mainly. If you were a young slave your job may be to entertain the masters children. Women had to do harsh things but maybe not as much heavy lifting as men. I recall hearing that the lighter skinned ou were, the closer you were to the house. Im not sure if that is right.
3. In order to keep their culture they would dance, sing, pray, and tell stories.
4. slaves were allowed to attend church, but they were only able to learn certain things. Their masters made sure that they didnt know stories about Moses freeing the slaves.
1. in my opinion, they did not have a life. they had to work what white people told them to do. that is why black people called nigger each other.
2. because black people were not a human for white people. that is why white people wants to get more slaves, that is why they had a baby.
3. because black people were slaves, they can not stay them self, they have to live together with other black people.
4. i really did not understand this question.
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