The United States was founded on the principle of universal equality – all men are created equal. In stark contrast to this high-minded philosophy was the condition and oppression of African slaves across the nation. Slaves were denied every human right; they were used like tools and tortured as inferior creatures. African Americans were stripped of their African culture and were forced to work under treacherous working conditions in fields. Slaves were given new names, separated from their families, and prevented from being married all so they could seem as “good” slaves. While subjected to these horrors, they began to develop a racial identity with their common experiences as slaves. Slave culture was one of survival; it emphasized religion and music that expressed the tribulations they faced while in bondage. They depended on God and music in hopes of gaining freedom and humanity, even though it always seemed out of reach. With this birth of culture came the birth of the African American identity; a mix of African ancestry, the country in which they now resided, and the adversity that they faced. Their identity was sung and shared in prayer. Slaves continued to be oppressed for over 150 years, but the African-American culture rooted in hope and survival was and is unconquerable as shown through their venture to freedom.
This button was used by Thomas Porter II, a slave owner, in 1820, and was worn by his slaves in order to identify who their master was. This common practice contributed to the dehumanization of slaves and reduction of African American identity to property in the eyes of the slave holders. This stripped the person of their own identity, and communicated that their identity is whose property they were.
Identification button used by Thomas Porter II, inscribed TP. 1820. National Museum of African American History
and Culture. Accessed 14 Dec. 2017.
This notice from the Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture displays the pressing dependence and popularity of slave labor in the state of Arkansas in 1842. As shown in the notice, slaves were auctioned as property to later be sold into bondage. As a result of the harsh conditions which accompanied slave labor, many slaves developed a common experience and understanding with one another as they all encountered being sold into similar ways of life. This later expanded as a crucial factor to the development of the modern day African American Identity which is centered around having common experiences. Moneyhon, Carl H. "Slavery." The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture, 2017, www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/ |
"Old Satan is one busy ole man; |
This is an excerpt from Harriet Jacobs' Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, specifically the chapter titled "The Church and Slavery." This excerpt is a song Jacobs cites in her book which relays the experience and feelings of her and other slaves. Also, this excerpt shows the emphasis slaves often put on religion due to the hopelessness and suffering they experienced, yet the slaves knew God would bring them out of their bondage. This emphasis on church ultimately led to the development of the Black Church which is still present today, as a center of community for many African Americans where they have an outlet to share a common experience.
Jacobs, Harriet. "The Church and Slavery." Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. Page By Page Books, www.pagebypagebooks.com/Harriet_Jacobs/ Incidents_in_the_Life_of_a_Slave_Girl/The_Church_And_Slavery_p2.html. Accessed 3 Jan. 2018. |
This is a notice from the Encyclopedia of History and Culture which indicates the capture and jailing of a runaway slave from a plantation in Arkansas in 1851. Many slaves throughout their lifetimes attempted to escape from the horrid oppression of slavery. This notice calls into question the immorality of slavery through its obvious desperation to have runaway slaves captured and punished. This escape to freedom is something which the African American Identity has carried along with it throughout the centuries from slavery to the Civil Rights Movement to the modern day where African Americans are still fighting for equality.
Moneyhon, Carl H. "Slavery." The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture, 2017, www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/ |
This banjo is of African origin, despite its more European body shape. Music and cultural blending in America between slaves and their masters was common, and contributed greatly to black culture and identity. Through music, African slaves from very different tribes and backgrounds were able to connect and stand together, which helped them survive the harsh conditions of slavery.
African-American Banjo. 1835-60. Umbra, www.umbrasearch.org/catalog/ 37a1cda8ae03acdc246c4e26f0e2b87c0e8e203a. Accessed 2 Nov. 2017. |
The broad generalization shown in the picture to the left were used to define blackness as opposed to another racial identity. The belief that races were inherently different was common to the point of being almost universal in the slavery era, and only served as further justification for slavery. However, it also may have worked to unify Africans from very different cultures under one banner.
Orr, William S. Negro Race. 1800-1899. New York Public Library Digital Collections, New York Public Library, The, digitalcollections.nypl.org/ items/510d47df-e32b-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99. Accessed 21 Sept. 2017. |
"That on the first day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, all persons held as slaves within any State or designated part of a State, the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States, shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free; and the Executive Government of the United States, including the military and naval authority thereof, will recognize and maintain the freedom of such persons..." |
While the Emancipation Proclamation did not actually free all slaves in the United States - only those who were slaves in Confederate states were freed at the time - it laid the groundwork for the 13th amendment, which totally outlawed slavery in the U.S. The Proclamation signaled the demise of slavery, but not of institutionalized dehumanization and oppression. In later centuries, African Americans continued to battle racism, stereotypes, and attempts to return them to the subhuman status of slave; however, the Proclamation was a beacon of hope to the slaves, promising freedom and equality.
Proclamation No. 1863. Code of Federal Regulations Vol. 3. National Archives, www.archives.gov/exhibits/featured-documents/emancipation-proclamation. Accessed 2 Nov. 2017. |
Header citation:
Aylsworth, J. H. Carte-de-visite of women and children in a cotton field. 1860s. National Museum of African American History and Culture,
nmaahc.si.edu/object/nmaahc_2008.9.26.
Aylsworth, J. H. Carte-de-visite of women and children in a cotton field. 1860s. National Museum of African American History and Culture,
nmaahc.si.edu/object/nmaahc_2008.9.26.