Blassingame explains, "Our sense of self-esteem is heightened or lowered by our perception of the images others have of us." The Slave Community: Plantation Life in the Antebellum South shows that slaves were not the obedient workers that previous authors had suggested they were. As slaves, these black people struggled to maintain and hold onto aspects of their culture and/or former life that were the most important to them. Since slave parents were primarily responsible for training their children, they could cushion the shock of bondage for them, help them to understand their situation, teach them values different from those their masters tried to instill in them, and give them a referent for self-esteem other than the master. While ministers preached obedience in the presence of the slaveowners and other whites, slaves often met in secret, "invisible" services unsupervised by whites. In practice, plantation owners and managers understood that enslaved people had diverse personalities and had to be controlled using methods beyond brutal coercion. As slaves, Douglass and his companions had to choose doubtful liberty over nearly certain death. . Elkins compares the process to the infantilization of Jews in Nazi concentration camps. Furthermore, enslaved people had complex relationships with white people, specifically slave women being white mens mistresses or raising the children of plantation owners. Please wait while we process your payment. In addition, the white slave owners feared the Nat type of slaves because they were hard to control and work wasnt completed. These songs gave them a sense of hope and belonging that brought them joy and a commonality between them all. Music, songs, and dances were similar to those performed or played in Africa. Douglass must turn over these wages to Hugh Auld each week, however. Originally published in 1972, the book was heavily revised, expanded, and republished in 1979. Her argument is similar to Blassingame's: "This present study takes a look at slave women in America and argues that they were not submissive, subordinate, or prudish and that they were not expected to be so. Interpersonal behavior revolves around the dominant-submissive axes: "One form of behavior tends to elicit its complement: dominance leads to submission and vice versa. Members will be prompted to log in or create an account to redeem their group membership. In the Journal of American History, Willie Lee Rose writes that Blassingame's use of the fugitive slave narratives is marred by his neglect of the WPA interviews. As historian George P. Rawick points out, more weight was often given to white sources: the "masters not only ruled the past in fact" but also "rule its written history."[7]. Thanks Writer Lyla you are indeed awesome . The fight with Covey causes Douglass to regain his spirit and defiance, as well as his resolve to be free. Despite the brutality of the plantation system in the South, enslaved people were active in creating and preserving their own culture, asserting their own individuality, and protecting their families and communities. When she loses her grip, the boy falls into a nearby river and drowns. Douglass explains, however, that this seeming benevolence is part of the larger power structure of slavery. [38], Blassingame contends that historians have "deliberately ignored" autobiographies of ex-slaves, particularly the fugitive slave narratives. The Narrative goes on to show that the words American and slave are contradictory: the rights afforded by the designation American are nonexistent for slaves. During breakfast, William Hamilton and several other men arrive at the house. Blassingame added a chapter titled "The Americanization of the Slave and the Africanization of the South" where he draws parallels between the acculturation of African American slaves in the American South, African slaves in Latin America, and European slaves in North Africa and the Ottoman Empire. "[66] White discusses the Mammy and Jezebel stereotypes often applied to African American women by white Americans. These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community. Douglass writes that they immediately knew who the betrayer was, but he does not reveal who they suspected. Except for his friendship with the local boys in Baltimore, Douglass has been a figure of isolation and alienation in the Narrative. In the new preface, Blassingame asserted that the book had to be revised because of George Bentley, an enslaved, pro-slavery Primitive Baptist minister from Tennessee who pastored a white church in the 1850s. She found his discussion of slave personality types "fascinating" and "his methodological aims important" but "not systematically pursued". He concludes that Blassingame's "analysis is incomplete in its presentation of a different and more complex scene" even though he "effectively shows the difficulties of the concentration-camp image and the Sambo myth". The few exceptions include Charles S. Sydnor. Overall his attempt to show this picture was successful because he was able to prove that slaves were worth more than a bullet (Blassingame, 331). To the uninformed observer, it would appear a positive thing that slave owners grant a holiday to their slaves. He remarks, "Nothing demonstrated his powerlessness as much as the slave's inability to prevent the forcible sale of his wife and children."[21]. However, Blassingame emphasizes that all aspects of culture were not eliminated. The physical presence of the money Douglass earns with his labor reinforces his sense of the injustice of slavery. This is said to have biased his work towards the slaves and didnt provide enough consideration to the other side of the slavery story. The most important component of personality is self-esteem. Issel, William. With Nat perennially in the wings, the creation of Sambo was almost mandatory for the Southerner's emotional security. Jacob falls in love with his master's daughter, Wanda, but his Jewish beliefs prevent him from taking a pagan woman for a wife. The 1970s, however, witnessed the publication of revisionist studies that departed from the traditional historiography of slavery. Blassingame identifies three stereotypes in the literature of the antebellum south: Directly challenging Elkins's infantilization thesis, Blassingame argues that historians have focused too much on the Sambo personality type and the role of paternalism. Historians argued that Blassingame's use of psychological theory proved unhelpful in his interpretation. These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community. Your subscription will continue automatically once the free trial period is over. Douglass is grateful that Mr. Freeland is not a hypocritically religious man. Lane's anthology of essays The Debate Over Slavery: Stanley Elkins and His Critics (1971). Sullivan claims that "significant others", persons with the most power to reward and punish individual behavior, were primarily responsible for determining behavior. Next, Blassingame details how enslaved people created a unique culture out of their African roots and Southern adaptations. Navigation. Georgia. [52], In the Journal of Political Economy, economic historian Stanley L. Engerman complains that the book is not "written by or for economists" and makes "limited use of economic analysis". Many men in the community profess to be religious, but merely use their religion as justification for their cruelty to their slaves. At the end of the Easter holidays, all the slaves but Douglass are taken home. Check out this sample Study Guide. She calls The Slave Community "a classic" but remarks that "Blassingame stressed the fact that many masters recognized the male as the head of the family. However, enslaved people often played into their masters expectations to protect themselves and each other from punishment, hiding their genuine emotions and frequently reject[ing] the arguments (305) of their own racial inferiority. Free trial is available to new customers only. We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make yourown. "[29], Despite slaveowner paternalism and charges of submissiveness, Blassingame contends, "There is overwhelming evidence, in the primary sources, of the Negro's resistance to his bondage and of his undying love for freedom. thissection. Douglass remembers Freeland as the best master he ever had. Blassingame stated that, "Most whites felt that the 'natural' traits of Negro character were so deeply ingrained that they were immutable." Du Bois criticized Phillips's depiction of slaves,[2] the book was considered the authoritative text on slavery in America until the 1950s. The dry bones of historical analysis, statistics acquire life when filtered through the accounts left by eyewitnesses. "[47], In The History Teacher, Keith Polakoff comments that "only with the publication of Blassingame's work do we obtain for the first time a detailed examination of the daily lives of the slaves on large plantations, with some intelligent speculation about the forces to which they were subjected. Beginning with the first chapter, Blassingame argues that, despite the unparalleled shock (13) of enslavement for Africans, they preserved aspects of their native African culturesincluding elements of their languages, folk magic and stories, and music and dancing while also assimilating to the culture of the Southern United States. The Slave Community: Plantation Life in the Antebellum South by John W. Blassingame is a nonfiction history discussing slavery in the United States. This model of social support competes with the model of heroic individualism through the end of Douglasss Narrative. In coming to a fixed determination to run away, we did more than Patrick Henry, when he resolved upon liberty or death. Plantation Life In The Antebellum South Summary. "[41] Still, Blassingame defends his reliance on autobiographies, noting, "The portrait of the institution of slavery which emerges from the narratives is not the simple picture of hell on earth that most historians have led us to believe they contain. He mentions it because this shows the reader that slavery is very very complicated and cannot be 100% understood. [22], Children observed fathers demonstrating two behavioral types. Douglasss first year with Freeland passes smoothly. On January 1, 1834, Douglass is sent to live with Mr. William Freeland. Previous. The The Slave Community Note includes chapter-by-chapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and quizzes written by community members like you. add to "up next" mark as owned This book analyzes the experience of slaves in the South during misjudgement and confusion. Douglass tells Sandy Jenkins of his fear, and Sandy feels the same way. "[68], After the 1976 Association for the Study of Afro-American Life and History meeting and the publication of Revisiting Blassingame's The Slave Community in 1978, Blassingame produced a revised and enlarged edition of The Slave Community in 1979. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. '"[50], Still, Blassingame's conclusions, methodology, and sources received substantial criticism from historians. Generally, the public, or persuasivesections of the Narrative generally either disprove pro-slavery arguments, present antislavery arguments, or disabuse readers of misinformation or misinterpretation about the practices of slave owners. "The Slave Community: Plantation Life in the Antebellum South" by John W. Blassingame is the first book about slavery written by a historian in the viewpoint of slaves rather than slave owners. Douglass remains in jail because he is identified as the leader and instigator. 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