Glossary
Abolition Movement
A social and political movement in the 18th and 19th centuries dedicated to ending slavery, often fueled by moral, religious, and political arguments.
Example:
Frederick Douglass, a prominent orator and writer, used his personal narrative and powerful speeches to advocate for the immediate end of slavery, significantly contributing to the Abolition Movement.
African Military Experience
The prior military skills and leadership knowledge possessed by some enslaved Africans, which proved crucial in organizing and executing large-scale revolts in the Americas.
Example:
The strategic planning and disciplined execution seen in some major uprisings were often attributed to individuals who brought their African Military Experience from their homelands.
Churches (Role in Resistance)
For enslaved communities, churches served as vital multi-functional spaces for sanctuary, information sharing, political organizing, and cultural preservation, fostering resistance.
Example:
In many Southern cities, 'invisible institutions' or secret Black churches provided a clandestine space where enslaved people could plan acts of defiance and share news of revolts.
Creole Mutiny (1841)
A successful slave revolt in 1841 led by Madison Washington on the slave ship *Creole*, resulting in the enslaved people sailing to the Bahamas where British law granted them freedom.
Example:
The Creole Mutiny was a significant victory for enslaved people, as it demonstrated that collective action could lead to liberation, even on the high seas, and created a diplomatic incident between the US and Britain.
Denmark Vesey's Planned Rebellion (1822)
A meticulously planned but ultimately thwarted slave rebellion in 1822 in Charleston, South Carolina, organized by Denmark Vesey, who intended to liberate enslaved people and sail to Haiti.
Example:
The discovery of Denmark Vesey's Planned Rebellion before it could be executed revealed the extensive networks of communication and organization that existed among enslaved people, even under intense surveillance.
Escape
The act of running away from enslavement to seek freedom and autonomy, often involving perilous journeys and reliance on networks like the Underground Railroad.
Example:
Harriet Tubman famously made multiple dangerous journeys back into the South to guide others to freedom, embodying the ultimate act of escape for many enslaved people.
First Revolt in US Territory (1526)
The earliest recorded slave revolt in what would become U.S. territory, occurring in 1526 in Santo Domingo, where enslaved Africans rebelled against Spanish explorers and found refuge with Indigenous communities.
Example:
The 1526 First Revolt in US Territory demonstrated that resistance to enslavement began almost immediately upon the arrival of Africans in the Americas, long before the formal establishment of the United States.
German Coast Uprising (1811)
A large-scale slave revolt in 1811 near New Orleans, led by Charles Deslondes, where hundreds of enslaved people marched toward the city, inspired by the Haitian Revolution.
Example:
The sheer number of participants and the organized march during the German Coast Uprising highlighted the potential for collective action among enslaved people, despite its violent suppression.
Henry Highland Garnet
A prominent African American abolitionist and minister who, in his influential 1843 'Address to the Slaves of the United States,' called for active resistance and rebellion against slavery.
Example:
Henry Highland Garnet's radical call for enslaved people to rise up and claim their freedom by force marked a significant shift in abolitionist rhetoric, moving beyond moral suasion to advocate for direct action.
Maria W. Stewart
A pioneering African American woman orator and abolitionist who, in the 1830s, became the first American woman to give public speeches against slavery, often using biblical references.
Example:
Through her powerful speeches, Maria W. Stewart challenged both racial and gender norms, inspiring both enslaved and free African Americans to fight for justice and liberation.
Nat Turner's Rebellion (1831)
A religiously inspired slave revolt in 1831 in Virginia led by Nat Turner, who believed he was divinely chosen to lead enslaved people to freedom, resulting in the deaths of many white slaveholders and their families.
Example:
The brutal aftermath of Nat Turner's Rebellion, including widespread fear among white Southerners and stricter slave codes, underscored the profound impact of organized resistance on the institution of slavery.
Sabotage
Acts of intentional damage to tools, equipment, or property by enslaved people to hinder operations and resist their forced labor.
Example:
An enslaved blacksmith might subtly dull the edge of a plow or loosen a wagon wheel, engaging in sabotage to make agricultural work more difficult for the enslaver.
Slowdowns
A form of daily resistance where enslaved people intentionally reduced their work pace to disrupt production and assert agency.
Example:
During harvest season, an enslaved field hand might feign illness or work inefficiently, causing a slowdown that delayed the entire cotton picking process.
Theft
The act of taking food, supplies, or other resources by enslaved people, often as a means of survival or a symbolic reclamation of what was denied to them.
Example:
An enslaved cook might discreetly take extra rations from the master's pantry, considering it a form of theft that redistributed resources within the enslaved community.
Thomas Jefferson's Letter to Rufus King (1802)
A primary source document from 1802 revealing anxieties among slaveholders about increased slave insurgency and proposals for transporting rebellious or emancipated enslaved people to Africa, specifically Sierra Leone.
Example:
Analyzing Thomas Jefferson's Letter to Rufus King provides insight into the deep-seated fears of slaveholders regarding slave revolts and their attempts to control the enslaved population through forced emigration.