Examkin

Question

Difficulty: HardEveryday Resistance and Cultural Retention

Read the excerpt below from an essay in an antebellum Southern agricultural journal (1853):

"The plantation laborer is exceedingly clever at feigning illness. A stubborn ache, a sudden lameness, or a mysterious internal complaint is frequently reported just as the cotton harvest reaches its height. In addition, the carelessness with which they handle the sturdiest iron hoes, resulting in frequent breakages, is a constant trial to the overseer."

Which of the following best explains the historical significance of the behaviors described in the excerpt?

  1. They constituted deliberate, covert methods of labor negotiation that allowed enslaved people to reclaim agency and limit the rate of plantation production.Answer
  2. B
    They were considered insignificant behaviors that failed to challenge the plantation system because they did not involve organized, violent rebellion.
  3. C
    They served as primary steps in establishing permanent, self-governing maroon communities outside the boundaries of the plantation.
  4. D
    They were manifestations of a shared West African cosmological belief that prohibited the modification of natural soils with iron tools.

Answer

They constituted deliberate, covert methods of labor negotiation that allowed enslaved people to reclaim agency and limit the rate of plantation production.
The correct answer is correct because actions such as feigning illness and damaging tools were classic forms of everyday, covert resistance. These strategies allowed enslaved people to negotiate the terms of their labor, assert control over their work pace, and sabotage plantation efficiency without triggering the extreme violence associated with overt rebellions.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the primary source excerpt for planter bias and the actions described.
The excerpt shows a Southern planter complaining about enslaved workers feigning illness and breaking tools during peak harvest times.
Identifying the planter's perspective reveals that they viewed these actions as carelessness or deception, while the timing (during harvest) suggests strategic planning by the workers.
2
Identify the historical concept represented by these actions.
These acts represent 'everyday resistance' (or covert resistance), which contrasts with overt, large-scale armed rebellions or grand maroonage.
Understanding the taxonomy of resistance helps distinguish between day-to-day acts of sabotage and other forms of defiance.
3
Evaluate the significance of everyday resistance in the context of antebellum slavery.
Everyday resistance allowed enslaved people to negotiate labor pace, preserve physical well-being, and assert agency under a highly repressive system.
Connecting these covert actions to their broader economic and social impacts leads to the conclusion that they were significant strategies of labor negotiation and survival.

Key Concept

Everyday Resistance and labor negotiation under slavery
Rate this question

Topics

Everyday Resistance and Cultural Retention

More questions from this topic