Read the description of a lowcountry plantation artifact below:
In coastal South Carolina and Georgia, enslaved laborers constructed coiled baskets from sweetgrass, pine needles, and palmetto leaves to winnow rice. These baskets were made using a distinct coiling technique identical to those found in the Senegambia region of West Africa.
Which of the following historical concepts is best illustrated by the continued production of these baskets?
- AThe reliance solely on armed rebellions as a means of resisting the conditions of enslavement
- BThe establishment of permanent, independent maroon communities outside of plantation boundaries
- The retention of West African cultural and technological practices in the AmericasAnswer
- DThe existence of a single, uniform culture across the entire African continent that required no regional adaptation
Answer
The option stating that the baskets represent the retention of West African cultural and technological practices in the Americas is the correct answer.
The correct option stating that the baskets represent the retention of West African cultural and technological practices is correct because the production of coiled sweetgrass baskets by Gullah Geechee communities demonstrates how specific West African traditions were preserved, passed down, and adapted to daily life and labor in the Americas.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Everyday Resistance and Cultural Retention