First published in 1962 by Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, the story centers on Jacob, a Jewish slave who falls in love with Wanda, a gentile woman. Rawick, "Some Notes on a Social Analysis of Slavery", pp. He begins to despair. He won the Nobel Prize for Literature sixteen years after the novel was published. Don't use plagiarized sources. Renews April 24, 2023 Drawing on psychology, Blassingame argues that enslaved people did adopt submissive roles and were subjected to coercion. Yet the slaves value their education so highly that they attend Douglasss school despite the threat of punishment. The Slave Community: Plantation Life in the Antebellum South Revised Edition by John W. Blassingame (Author) 170 ratings Kindle $9.99 Read with Our Free App Hardcover $29.39 1 Used from $29.39 1 Collectible from $29.75 Paperback $9.99 - $66.15 91 Used from $4.27 17 New from $56.09 2 Rentals from $12.21 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]. "[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. The Slave Community: Plantation Life in the Antebellum South John W. Blassingame. "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. Music, songs, and dances were similar to those performed or played in Africa. The free trial period is the first 7 days of your subscription. Douglass meets and befriends other slaves on Freelands property, including the intelligent brothers Henry and John Harris. Therefore, Blassingame concludes: Like most personal documents, the autobiography provides a window to the larger world. Douglass compares Auld to a pirate who has a right to Douglasss wages only because he has the power to compel Douglass to hand them over. Blassingame addresses the historiography of slavery published between 1972 and 1978 in the revised edition. The Slave Community contradicted those historians who had interpreted history to suggest that African-American slaves were docile and submissive "Sambos" who enjoyed the benefits of a paternalistic master-slave relationship on southern plantations. Jacob has been sold to the pagans as a slave, but he still practices devout Judaism. This is a dangerous undertaking, as educating slaves is forbidden; the community violently shuts down a similar school run by a white man. [39] Blassingame's discussion of the African slave trade, Middle Passage, and African culture is based on Olaudah Equiano's The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African (1794).[40]. Beloved explores the physical, emotional, and spiritual devastation wrought by slavery, a devastation that continues to haunt those characters who are former slaves even in freedom. He describes how white interviewers often deleted material contrary to the paternalistic image of the antebellum South which they wanted to present. Slave traders arrive to taunt them and size them up as though to sell them. This guide covers the 1979 Oxford University Press edition. When Richmond slave owner John Graves passes away, his slaves are put up for sale. Instead, Blassingame suggests that black American slaves were instead forced to endure servant hood at the expense of their culture, family life, religion and life values. He chaired African American Studies for most of the 1980's. He is the writer of New Perspectives on Black Studies ( 1971 ) . On the morning of their planned escape, Douglass works in thefields as usual. [46] Historian George P. Rawick noted in 1976, however, that the criticism "should not obscure the fact that [Blassingame's] book was of such merit as to warrant spending our time criticizing it four years after its publication. Douglass points out that their decision was far more difficult than that of Patrick Henry, whose choice between death and an oppressed lifeGive me liberty or give me deathwas merely rhetorical. The extent of submissiveness often depends on the structure of the group to which the person belongs. Blassingame concludes, "Uncritical use of the interviews will lead almost inevitably to a simplistic and distorted view of the plantation as a paternalistic institution where the chief feature of life was mutual love and respect between masters and slaves. This book analyzes the experience of slaves in the South during misjudgement and confusion. Well occasionally send you promo and account related email. [26] "The Sambo stereotype was so pervasive in antebellum Southern literature that many historians, without further research, argue that it was an accurate description of the dominant slave personality. In addition, the white slave owners feared the Nat type of slaves because they were hard to control and work wasnt completed. According to Blassingame, these personality types were important to white slave owners because obvioulsy they wanted the Sambo type of slave because they could be counted upon to perform their duties without causing problems. Read more about the motif of slaves as property. Stampp's study lacks the racist interpretation found in American Negro Slavery and approaches the issue from the position that there is no innate difference between blacks and whites. Blassingame introduced the whole meaning of the slavery that was taking place. Additional materials, such as the best quotations, synonyms and word definitions to make your writing easier are also offered here. The film depicts rape during the middle passage and in the present, and offers an unflinching view of the forms of psychological and physical discipline deployed, as when slaves are murdered or made to flog each other under the threat of death. Not affiliated with Harvard College. It is customary for slaves to enjoy a holiday from Christmas to New Years. Douglass spends time at home recovering, and later he becomes an apprentice at Hugh Aulds own shipyard. Despite criticisms, The Slave Community is a foundational text in the study of the life and culture of slaves in the Antebellum South. The Slave Community: Plantation Life in the Antebellum South by John W. Blassingame is a nonfiction history discussing slavery in the United States. Interpersonal theorists argue that "behavioral patterns are determined by the characteristics of the situation, how the person perceives them, and his behavioral dispositions at the time." Next, Blassingame details how enslaved people created a unique culture out of their African roots and Southern adaptations. You may cancel your subscription on your Subscription and Billing page or contact Customer Support at custserv@bn.com. In chapter one of the slave community book, the author initiates the chapter with a poem by Robert Hayden that's basically telling the horrors of the middle passage, the trips the Africans took to the Americas. 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. He dreams one night that she is pregnant and feels abandoned by him. Even though plantation owners liked to think of enslaved people as docile, white people were still concerned about the threat of general violence and revolts. By giving slaves a brief span of time each year to release their rebellious spirit, slaveholders keep them manageable for the rest of the year. Douglass writes travel passes, signed by their master, for each of them. Blassingame, however, points out that in spite of restrictions, slaves were able to build a strong musical tradition drawing on their African heritage. Overall, the portrait Blassingame provides is one of nuance. The most important component of personality is self-esteem. Those women and men know life under cruel, unstable owners. This outline has been approximately created nailing down the fundamental central issues, and realities, and summed up subtleties to assist developing comprehension you might interpret the book. What is meant by Government aided secondary school? Sethe refuses to let her children exist in such a world. Get your custom essay on, The Slave Community by John W. Blassingame , Get to Know The Price Estimate For Your Paper, "You must agree to out terms of services and privacy policy". He remarks, "Nothing demonstrated his powerlessness as much as the slave's inability to prevent the forcible sale of his wife and children."[21]. Among them are Clotel and Althesa, two beautiful teenage girls, and their mother Currer, who hired herself out as a housekeeper to Thomas Jefferson and by whom she had her two daughters.Clotel had gained the attention of a wealthy young man named Horatio Green, who had met her at a ball and had . As slaves, Douglass and his companions had to choose doubtful liberty over nearly certain death. Blassingame grants that slaveowners did have control over slave marriages. Free shipping for many products! In Chapter X, however, Douglass reveals the close friendships he develops at Freelands and shows that he relies on friends support. [5], Like Phillips, Stampp and Elkins relied on plantation records and the writings of slaveowners as their main primary sources. Rawick surmises that if Blassingame had consulted the WPA slave interviews, he would have developed a picture of the "heroic struggles of black women on behalf of themselves and of the whole black community". For instance, he challenges Robert Fogel and Stanley Engerman's economic and statistical study of slavery in Time on the Cross. Free trial is available to new customers only. This play was published in 1843, as part of a source book of antislavery readings for use by students and at antislavery society meetings. Full Title: Oroonoko; Or, the Royal Slave When Written: Behn wrote Oroonoko towards the end of her life. You'll also receive an email with the link. "[34] He remarks, "Placed on a continuum of total institutions, the concentration camp is far removed from the Southern plantation. One of the more controversial of these studies was John W. Blassingame's The Slave Community. Blassingame argued that a great variety of personality types Yet, like many good books, it should have been better. 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. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. By continuing, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. "[67], Elizabeth Fox-Genovese makes similar observations in Within the Plantation Household: Black and White Women of the Old South (1988). Read more about slaveholding as a perversion of Christianity. Blassingame explains, "Our sense of self-esteem is heightened or lowered by our perception of the images others have of us." resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss thenovel. Blassingame, John W. (1972). Give us your email address and well send this sample there. Members will be prompted to log in or create an account to redeem their group membership. He asserts that by concentrating on the slaveowner, historians have presented a distorted view of plantation life that "strips the slave of any meaningful and distinctive culture, family life, religion, or manhood." Douglass also attributes the comfort of the year to his solidarity with the other slaves. "The Slave Summary". Southern writers felt a need to defend slavery from allegations of abuse and brutality leveled by northern abolitionists, so Sambo became a common portrayal to justify and explain the need for plantation paternalism. Students looking for free, top-notch essay and term paper samples on various topics. Dont have an account? Want 100 or more? [22], Children observed fathers demonstrating two behavioral types. However, though Freeland is a good model for a slave owner, Douglass remains clear that slaveholding in any form is still unjust. Douglass recalls that he loved them and that they operated together as a single community. The Question and Answer section for The Slave is a great These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community. Blassingame defended his conclusions at a 1976 meeting of the Association for the Study of Afro-American Life and History and in 1979 published a revised and enlarged edition of The Slave Community. Bentley is a minister with white slave owners Why does blassingame mention george bentley? The dry bones of historical analysis, statistics acquire life when filtered through the accounts left by eyewitnesses. The Exploration of Metaphysical Slavery in The Slave. Although the importance of The Slave Community was recognized by scholars of American slavery, Blassingame's conclusions, methodology, and sources were heavily criticized. Written by Hellen Boss. John W. Blassingame was born in Covington. Voodoo priests and conjurers promised slaves that they could make masters kind, harm enemies, ensure love, and heal sickness. From Douglass's fight with Covey to the end of Chapter X. "[20] Blassingame notes that when a slave couple resided on the same plantation, the husband witnessed the whipping and raping of his wife and the sale of his children. See for yourself. to start your free trial of SparkNotes Plus. [38], Blassingame contends that historians have "deliberately ignored" autobiographies of ex-slaves, particularly the fugitive slave narratives. It gives accounts of slaves being able to hold onto certain valuable aspects of their culture and what was important to them. Check out our sample guides: A SuperSummary Plot Summary provides a quick, full synopsis of a text. He notes that arguments against the use of these autobiographies used by historians revolve around reliability: "Many historians refuse to use these accounts because they have felt the fugitive, as the primary sufferer in the institution, was unable to give an objective account of bondage. Blassingame joined the module of Yale University in 1970. where he taught in the African American Studies. In Chapter X we see Douglass working for wages for the first time. [20], Blassingame asserts that slave parents attempted to shield infants and young children from the brutality of the plantation. Whether compiled by planters, doctors, clergymen, army officers, or census takers, statistics on slavery mean little until combined with literary material. Lane's anthology of essays The Debate Over Slavery: Stanley Elkins and His Critics (1971). Freeland has no pretensions about religion and is consistent and fair in his treatment of his slaves. Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Contact us By encouraging them to spend the holiday riotously drunk, slaveholders ensure that freedom comes to seem unappealing. "[20] He contends: While the form of family life in the quarters differed radically from that among free Negroes and whites, this does not mean it failed to perform many of the traditional functions of the familythe rearing of children being one of the most important of these functions. They seize and tie Douglass and the rest of the escape party. But Batiatus is training the men in order to sell them off. Slave owners keep slaves ignorant of basic facts about themselves, such as their birth date or their paternity. When she loses her grip, the boy falls into a nearby river and drowns. TO CANCEL YOUR SUBSCRIPTION AND AVOID BEING CHARGED, YOU MUST CANCEL BEFORE THE END OF THE FREE TRIAL PERIOD. "[66] White discusses the Mammy and Jezebel stereotypes often applied to African American women by white Americans. He starts to fight back but decides against it, as lynch law dictates that any black man who hits a white man may be killed. "Reevaluating the Antebellum Slave Community: A Comparative Perspective". The Slave Community: Plantation Life in the Antebellum South. The men are placed in jail. Blassingame states there is overwhelming evidence of enslaved peoples undying love of freedom in defiance of their circumstances (192). Many men in the community profess to be religious, but merely use their religion as justification for their cruelty to their slaves. They know what it feels like to be unable to protect their own children. In a review in the William and Mary Quarterly, George Mullin is especially critical of Blassingame's use of psychology, stating that Blassingame "reduc[es] slave behavior and culture to a question of roles and psychological characteristics". The two girls begin to grow apart. Please wait while we process your payment. Chapter-by-chapter summaries and multiple sections of expert analysis, The ultimate resource for assignments, engaging lessons, and lively book discussions. Focusing on the perspective of the slave, new studies incorporated the slave narratives and WPA interviews: George Rawick's From Sunup to Sundown: The Making of the Black Community (1972), Eugene D. Genovese's Roll, Jordan, Roll: The World the Slaves Made (1974), Peter H. Wood, Black Majority: Negroes in Colonial South Carolina from 1670 Through the Stono Rebellion (1974), Leslie Howard Owens's This Species of Property: Slave Life and Culture in the Old South (1976), Herbert G. Gutman's The Black Family in Slavery and Freedom, 17501925 (1976), Lawrence W. Levine's Black Culture and Black Consciousness: Afro-American Folk Thought from Slavery to Freedom (1977), and Albert J. Raboteau's Slave Religion: The "Invisible Institution" in the Antebellum South (1978). Type your requirements and Ill connect you to By signing up you agree to our terms and privacy policy. Because Gardners shipyard is struggling to meet a deadline, however, Douglass becomes a helping hand for seventy-five different carpenters and learns no new skill. Instruments reproduced by slaves include drums, three-stringed banjos, gourd rattles, and mandolins. One day, Sula playfully swings a neighborhood boy, Chicken Little, around by his hands. Featured Collections. Jacob is a Jewish man living in Poland following the Khmelnystsky Massacres where his wife and kids were slain by Cossacks. Gardner agrees to fire the free black carpenters. "[36], Another psychological theory used by Blassingame is role theory. In their prefaces to Douglasss Narrative, Garrison and Phillips place Douglass in the context of the American Revolutionaries battle for rights and freedom. However, they were forced to do this on their own time and when not being watched by white slave owners. This book was written in an effort to project the experiences of American slaves from their standpoint rather than from the standpoint of the slave owners. Background Notes. Douglasss experience under Freeland is also positive because he develops a social network of fellow slaves that during this time. We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make yourown. [48] David Goldfield writes in Agricultural History that the book was the most impressive and balanced attempt to understand the slave's responses to plantation life to date. Youve successfully purchased a group discount. Your group members can use the joining link below to redeem their group membership. In the quarters, he "acted like a man", castigating whites for the mistreatment of himself and his family; in the field working for the master, he appeared obedient and submissive. Douglass presents Freeland as a good slave owner because he lacks both of these vices. While ministers preached obedience in the presence of the slaveowners and other whites, slaves often met in secret, "invisible" services unsupervised by whites. "[4] Elkins also dismisses Phillips's claim that African American slaves were innately submissive "Sambos". [35], In The Slave Community, Blassingame uses psychologist Harry Stack Sullivan's interpersonal theory to interpret the behavior of slaves on antebellum plantations. "[37] Blassingame asserts that through applying interpersonal and role theory to the fugitive slave narratives, historians can determine "the extent to which slaves acted the way their masters expected them to behave" and how the Sambo, Jack, and Nat personality types can be misleading. John W. Blassingame was a black historian interested in the issue of slavery in America.
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