SSU What Made Slavery Untenable and the Civil War Inevitable Discussion
In the video you just watched, Green states, “The truth is, sometimes carving out an identity as a human being in a social order that is constantly seeking to dehumanize you, is the most powerful form of resistance. Refusing to become the chattel that their masters believed them to be is what made slavery untenable and the Civil War inevitable, so make no mistake, slaves fought back.”
In other words, violent revolt was not the only form of resistance available to slaves. Nor was it the most common or effective form, as evidenced by many of these excerpts from slave narratives:
Using the readings and resources provided in Unit 7 as well as the video and primary sources linked above, discuss the forms of resistance that were available to slaves in the pre-Civil War United States. In constructing your answer, consider the following:
- In what ways did slaves resist the authority of their owners?
- How did some resist the self-definition of “slave”?
- What acts and attitudes of invisible subversiveness did slaves pursue?
- How did they create a separate world on the plantation?
Remember that high-level (A) responses will not just answer each of these questions in turn (like a worksheet). Instead, you should consider your answers to the questions and then synthesize them into an overarching argument. You may combine the answers to some questions in a single paragraph or spread them out. Remember that you need to cite your source when you quote from a reading. Reminder: Quotations should not be more than 10-15% of your paper. They are not to take the place of your own ideas or thoughts; they help support your ideas and thoughts. For these readings, use these in-text citations and these full citations at the end of your postings. Please see the Citation Help.pdf for guidelines for citing sources.
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