The Impacts of the Black Slaves on America and its Culture Essay Example

because they did not engage in any profitable export activities and were also facing economic crises. The high prices and scarcity of slaves demonstrate the thriving slave industry. The financial crises also impacted farmers and individual merchants, leading to a significant decline in the fur trade. The French colony heavily depended on the fur trade and had relatively underdeveloped agriculture, resulting in even greater losses.

The merchant mitigated losses by selling Indian slaves held by individuals to recover from an economic crisis. Despite being prohibited, the slave trade yielded profitable outcomes, motivating some traders to continue engaging in it. This exemplifies the significance of the slave business during the encounter between Europeans, Native Americans, and black slaves who contributed to its expansion. Additionally, black slaves introduced African dance and song styles to American culture. The Charleston dance, which originated from Kongo and was brought to Charleston, South Carolina as the Juba style between 1745 and 1740, progressively evolved into what is now known as the Charleston.

The dance known as Charleston by Europeans was commonly referred to as Djouba or Juba in Africa. Additionally, Black slaves introduced the Banjo, an instrument originally recognized as an African instrument before it became a subject of ridicule and subsequently abandoned. This allowed Southern whites to claim it as their own invention. Drums were also brought to American culture and widely used in slave revolts on both sides of the Atlantic. The African drum remained prevalent until the Stono Rebellion in 1739.

Nevertheless, after South Carolina passed Slave Act Law of 1740, they were later prohibited from being used together with other loud instruments such as the horns. Chordophones, an instrument that

originated from the Kongo/Angolan area, was also introduced to American culture. This instrument was common in African American culture and diffused from African culture to the Caribbean and South America. The Black slaves also introduced linguistic terms or words to the American language. Certain words like OK (Okay), bogus, jitter (bug), rap, juke (box), fuzz (police), dig (understand), jamboree, jam, among others, are believed to have originated from Africa.

The Africanisms words that originated from America include banana, cola, banjo, turnip, tote, sorcery gumbo, gorilla, and others. The acculturation process between the white and Africans was reciprocal and mutual. Africans adopted aspects of white culture while planters incorporated certain African customs such as agricultural methods like rice cultivation and open grazing of cattle. They also adopted African Cuisine (Southern cooking) and the use of herbal medicine to treat New World diseases. Africans were particularly skilled in treating smallpox, snake bites, and other poisonous ailments. They also possessed extensive knowledge of Caesarian culture. However, as field workers, the Bantus were isolated from the developing mainstream of white American culture.

The Bantu people's isolation had a positive effect on their culture, enabling it to avoid assimilation and maintain its unity. The Bantu culture made various contributions to American culture, such as weaving, basketry, wood carvings, pottery, and clay-baked figurines. Additionally, the Bantu introduced cosmograms, funeral practices, grave designs, and decorations to American culture. The distinct nature of Bantu culture and the similarities in their languages allowed this group to have a significant impact.

The Bantus, primarily field hands, were often assigned tasks that required little interaction with European Americans. This separation from white society enabled them to avoid the challenges

of acculturation faced by West African artisans and domestic servants. However, the Mande group had a greater influence on White American culture. Living in isolation from other groups allowed the Bantus to maintain a strong sense of unity and preserve their cultural vitality, which laid the foundation for the development of African American culture. Despite being mistreated by whites, black slaves relied on them for sustenance and clothing, thus working to please them.

Black slaves were instrumental in introducing various crops to America during the transatlantic slave trade. This includes crops like rice, Tania, okra, Blackeyed peas, and lima beans. These crops were primarily consumed by enslaved Africans on slave ships and during their journey to the New World. Alongside these imports, slaves also gathered local crops such as yams, rice, dried wheat, peas, and beans for sustenance on the voyage. Furthermore, they brought other African crops like watermelon, guinea melon, sorghum, and sesame to America.

The African slaves played a vital role in merging the European and African culinary cultures by introducing native African crops and foods to planters. They acted as the intermediary links between these two cultures. Additionally, while working for their European masters, the house servants also brought African culinary tastes into the mix, including techniques like deep fat frying. They also recreated traditional cuisine using indigenous crops. For example, fufu, a West African meal, was prepared by boiling water, adding flour, stirring with ingredients, and so on.

Conclusion

The presence of African slaves in America had a profound impact on American culture by incorporating various elements from Africa into it.

These slaves brought various crops to the New Land,

which later became part of American food. They also contributed to the expansion of the slave trade and introduced dance styles and musical instruments. Through acculturation, African words were incorporated into American languages. However, some African aspects remained separate from American culture and continued to exist as African contributions. These slaves later became the foundation for the development of African Culture.

Bibliography

1. Baum, Rosalie, M. Early Literature: Reassessing the Black Contribution.
2. The Johns Hopkins University Press. Sponsor: American Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies (ASECS). Eighteenth-Century Studies, Vol. 27, No. 4, African-American Culture in the Eighteenth-Century (Summer, 1994), pp. 533-549.
3. Rushforth, Brett. "A Little Flesh We Offer You": The Origins of Indian Slavery in New France. Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture.

The source of the article is "To 'Doe Some Good upon Their Countrymen': The Paradox of Indian Slavery in Early Anglo-America" by Michael Guasco. It can be found in The William and Mary Quarterly, Volume 60, Number 4, pages 777-808. The article is published by Oxford University Press.

Journal of Social History, Vol. 41, No. 2 (Winter, 2007), pp. 389-411 Jupiter, Hammon.

An Address to the Negroes in the State of New York (1787). : Printed by CAR ROLL and PAT TER SON.

The text discusses the African influence on American culture, drawing from two sources: a website titled "The Slave Rebellion: African Contributions to American Culture" (available at http://slaverebellion.org/index.php?page=african-contribution-to-american-culture) and a book named "Early Literature: Reassessing the Black Contribution" authored by Rosalie M.

Baum and published by The Johns Hopkins University Press.The text below, which includes and their contents, can beand unified as follows:

Sponsor: American Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies (ASECS). Eighteenth-Century Studies, Vol. 27, No. 4, African-American Culture in the Eighteenth-Century (Summer, 1994), p. 533.

• Michael.

Guasco's article, titled "Doe Some Good upon Their Countrymen": The Paradox of Indian Slavery in Early Anglo-America, was published by Oxford University Press in the Journal of Social History. It delves into the contradictory nature of Indian slavery during the early days of Anglo-America.

2 (Winter, 2007), p.399.

4 (Oct., 2003),p.801.

1 (Jan., 2006), p.6? Baum, p. 536.