This document discusses various forms of resistance by slaves, ranging from passive to active resistance. Passive resistance included slow working, pretending illness, and telling lies. More extreme forms of passive resistance included refusing to work, running away, and suicide. Active resistance such as sabotage, damaging property, and murdering whites on the plantation were rare due to severe punishments but did sometimes occur. Resistance was shaped by both the African cultural influences retained by slaves and the example of Native American resistance to Spanish enslavement. Overall, prolonged slave resistance made slavery an inefficient system and contributed to its eventual end.

1. HISTORY

2. Response to Slavery
 Resistance was a constant feature of slavery, but
to define it only by the number of plots and
revolts which took place is very misleading.
 The slave resistance to their condition was an
everyday feature of their lives, ranging from
working or obeying orders as slowly as possible
to full-scale rebellion involving murder and the
destruction of property. This shaped the form of
plantation society and turned slavery into an
inefficient economic system.

3.  By the early years of the nineteenth century
such prolonged and continuous resistance
had made it obvious that slaves could never
become efficient or willing workers, no be
ruled without ever increasing repression.
 Their perseverance played a great part in
bringing an end to chattel slavery as an
institution.

4. Passive Resistance
 Slow working and malingering.
 Pretending ignorance.
 Deliberate carelessness, or carelessness.
resulting from a casual attitude which
usually went undetected but caused
trouble later.
 Pretending to be ill.
 Telling lies to avoid doing something or to
create confusion.

5.  Refusing to work (usually done by a large group
of slaves in the form of a “strike”.) The
consequences for this action can be dire as
punishment will involve mutilation or execution.
 Running away (usually in mountainous
territories such as Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica,
Dominica and Guadeloupe.
 Slave Suicide which was common from the
beginning. The most famous example of slave
suicide was that of 400 slaves on Guadeloupe
who, in 1802 put themselves in a fort and blew it
up rather than submit themselves to the
reintroduction of slavery.

6.  Any Crime committed by a slave against a
slave law was a form of resistance.

7. Who influenced this resistance?
 The African slaves’ resistance to their
condition was similar to, and influenced by,
the response of the Amerindians to being
enslaved by the Spanish.
 The Taino resisted, not only by refusing co-
operate and work, but also by revolting,
running away or even joining up with their
enemies, the Caribs.
 In the end they were prepared to accept
death or assimilation rather than a life in
bondage.

8. Resistance through African Culture
 The size of most plantations favored the
survival of African culture and did much to
diminish the impact that the culture of the
white slave-owners might have had on the
life of the slaves. Resistance to slavery was
found in the retention of African languages
and religious beliefs, in maintaining African
customs, music and dance, and in retaining
their skills in traditional African crafts.

9. Active Resistance
 Major acts of active resistance were rare
because of the penalties, but there were
many major acts of sabotage.
 Damaging and destroying the owner’s
property by disabling the farm machinery.
 Maiming and killing of livestock.
 Petty stealing of estate property caused
inconvenience and expense to the owner
as well as a personal gain to the slaves.

10.  The maiming or murdering of other slaves
was not so common, but it did go on.
 Murdering the whites on the estate. Many
slaves wanted to do this but their chances
of getting away with it were very remote
and they could expect no mercy if even
suspected of such a crime.