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Difficulty: MediumEveryday Resistance and Cultural Retention

Read the passage below and answer the following question.

"June 12, 1818 — The hands are working very slowly today. Three of the plowmen claimed their mules were lame, and two hoes were mysteriously broken before noon. Sally and Chloe both complained of sudden fevers and remained in their cabins, though they appeared well yesterday. It seems a spirit of stubbornness has taken hold, and I cannot get them to complete the clearing of the west field."
—Planter's journal, North Carolina

Which of the following concepts is best illustrated by the actions of the enslaved workers described in the journal entry?

  1. A
    The strategy of grand maroonage to form permanent, independent communities outside the plantation's legal authority.
  2. B
    A coordinated, armed rebellion organized by enslaved people to dismantle the legal codes governing chattel slavery.
  3. Enslaved people's use of covert, everyday resistance to assert agency and limit their exploitation under the plantation system.Answer
  4. D
    The complete abandonment of traditional African belief systems in favor of European Christian cosmologies.

Answer

Enslaved people's use of covert, everyday resistance to assert agency and limit their exploitation under the plantation system.
The correct answer is correct because the behaviors described in the diary entry, such as breaking tools, working slowly, and feigning illness, represent covert or everyday resistance. These methods allowed enslaved individuals to assert agency, slow down the pace of work, and limit their exploitation without risking the severe retaliation associated with open rebellion.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the planter's journal entry to identify the actions taken by the enslaved workers.
Enslaved workers are described as working slowly, claiming their draft animals are lame, breaking agricultural tools, and feigning illness.
Identifying these specific, subtle behaviors is necessary to categorize the form of resistance being utilized.
2
Compare the identified actions against the provided historical concepts.
These behaviors match historical patterns of daily, covert resistance, which differ from large-scale actions like running away permanently or launching armed rebellions.
Distinguishing between daily covert resistance, maroonage, and armed rebellion ensures a precise match with historical definitions.
3
Select the option that correctly identifies covert actions designed to limit work exploitation on plantations.
The option describing covert, everyday resistance to assert agency and limit exploitation is selected.
Everyday resistance encompasses tool breaking, malingering, and work slowdowns to preserve agency within the confines of the plantation.

Key Concept

Everyday Resistance and Cultural Retention
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Everyday Resistance and Cultural Retention

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