Assignment task:
Expectations:
The discussion responses you submit for each Discussion Post should all follow the same format and style. These should be 250-350 words, and are meant to be written in a "blog style," as opposed to more formal writing. The intention behind this is to map the process of learning and analyzing history--therefore it should have a tone of personal reflection in addition to analysis. Reflect on the content you've learned in this unit. Then, consider your position/experience and how you relate to this material (yes--you can use first-person). Though there is an overall informal tone to these posts, your answers should employ critical thinking (as opposed to regurgitating material) and effectively apply reading and media sources from the unit's module within your overall analysis. Include several specifics from course material, offering really simplistic citations in parentheses such as: (name of textbook chapter), (name of the primary source), (name of historian video).
Background:
Southern culture and way of life came to be defined by cotton and the plantation system of enslaved labor. Enslavers used various tactics to try and dehumanize those who were enslaved, beginning with the capture of African people on the West African coast. However, there were ways in which Africans and African Americans resisted and asserted their humanity. Drawing on this unit's material, write a 250-350 word post considering the below questions in your response.
Answer the following:
Q1. How did Native Americans and enslaved African Americans try to obtain more independence in this period?
Q2. Discuss specific ways in which Africans and African Americans resisted enslavement through culture.
Q3. What is the significance of using culture as a form of resistance? And why is it significant to ensure that this form of resistance is included in the historical narrative we teach today?