Revolution of the African Slaves

¶ … slaves rebelled against the slave system.

Why did slaves begin their resistance against the slave system?

The correspondence of one of the Kongo rulers named Nzinga Mbemba, or Afonso I, c. 1446-1543 was the earliest resistance ever documented. He wrote a letter to the ruler of Portugal, Joao III in the year 1526 demanding an immediate end to what he referred to as "the depopulation of his (Kongo) kingdom' illegally. Similar successful complaints were made by Gracia 11 who succeeded the Kongolese king (USI, 2011).

In which of the circumstances did the resistance record the greatest success?

When slaves greatly outnumbered whites, when their masters were away, during periods of massive economic meltdown, and during periods when there were cracks within the ruling class, slave revolts were often probable to be a huge success. Revolts of the slave populations were equally rampant during periods when indigenous Africans were brought in large numbers into a particular territory.

Which forms of resistance were most effective?

There were three major available methods through which both African slaves and their African-American counterparts resisted slavery: [1] they had the option of rebelling against their slave masters; [2] they had the option of running away; or [3] they might deliberately choose to achieve very little or to work efficiently on a daily basis. The most dramatic, and probably the most popular resistance techniques, were well organized and armed resistances. From 1691 to 1865, what is today known as the United States of America (U.S.) witnessed at least nine serious slave revolts. The most well-known of these popular revolts were the 1972, New York City revolt, the 1739, Stono, South Carolina revolt, the 1811, New Orleans revolt, and the 1831, Southampton, Virginia revolt, also called Nat Turner's revolt. There were several other conspiracies that were nipped in the bud such as the 1800, Richmond, VA revolt led by Gabriel Prosser and the 1822, Charleston, SC revolt led by Denmark Vesey. Slaves seized several weapons, looted and burned properties, and assassinated their masters and every white they could lay their hands on; however the whites exacted a very quick and brutal retribution (Sweet, 2015).

Among the groups of slaves, which ones seemed most likely to lead a rebellion against slavery?

Plantation owners banned slaves from playing their drums anywhere on St. Kitts Caribbean Island. They were only allowed to drum during the Christmas period. The owners viewed such activities as a serious threat to them. They were of the opinion that once the slaves are allowed to develop the slightest sense of identity by practicing African traditions and culture, there were chances they could join forces and lead a revolt against their masters. This indicates that slaves with a common root or origin were more likely to rebel against slavery.

Did slaves in America see outright rebellion as a viable option against slavery?