Read the 1765 South Carolina colonial advertisement below:
"Run away from the subscriber... three Negro men: Cyrus, Pompey, and Caesar... They have taken with them axes, hoes, and some cooking utensils. It is suspected they have joined a company of other runaways in the thick swamps near the Santee River, where they are reported to have built huts and begun planting corn."
Based on the advertisement, which of the following concepts of resistance is best illustrated by the actions of these men?
- Grand maroonage, because they sought to establish a permanent, self-sustaining community independent of colonial authority.Answer
- BPetit maroonage, because they fled temporarily with the intent of returning to negotiate better working conditions with the slaveholder.
- CEveryday resistance, because their flight and possession of tools represents a covert attempt to sabotage plantation tools rather than a permanent escape.
- DAn organized rebellion, because their escape was coordinated with the leaders of the Stono Rebellion to launch an armed insurrection.
Answer
Grand maroonage, because they sought to establish a permanent, self-sustaining community independent of colonial authority.
The correct answer is correct because the actions described in the advertisement—taking tools, building huts, and planting crops in a remote swamp—are characteristic of grand maroonage, which was the establishment of permanent, self-sustaining, and independent communities by self-liberated Africans.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Grand maroonage vs. other forms of resistance