Cultural Preservation

This is my Unit 4 LEQ for Mrs. Richman's AP US History. Because of her high praise for my work, I decided to share it here. I love this class because of how fun interacting with my classmates is, the engaging material, and my amazing teacher and TAs.

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From the early seventeenth century to 1808, slaves were imported from Africa and sent to work in various ways throughout the United States. With these slaves came the various cultural traditions from their areas of origin. Upon arriving in North America, these slaves’ cultural identity became infused with American traditions that soon led to the creation of a new, distinct culture, an African-American culture. Despite the constant struggles that were a key part of the life they lived, early African Americans in slavery developed musical and religious ways of life that were a hallmark of the uniqueness of this incredible race of people.

Since some of the earliest days of the American colonies, African American musical traditions were and are a very unique type of melodies that show a group of people who combined the sounds of their land of origin with those of their new home to create something beautiful. One thing that slaves did was that they sung while they worked. However, this singing was not of happiness as many white people but rather, as former enslaved man and abolitionist Frederick Douglass explained, was a display of the grief and pain that was a result of the life they were forced to live. Also, enslaved people used some songs as code for messages they wanted to relay, such as informing others about events like secret religious meetings. Another fascinating practice they created was adapting some of the music of Africa to American instruments, creating distinct sounds that marked a new way of life among African American people. 

When many African American slaves arrived in the New World, they were introduced to the Christian way of life which, like many other American traditions that they learned, were soon infused with African culture to make something new unlike anything anyone had ever seen before. As slaves lived through the difficulties of enslaved life, they became Christians and grew their faith in God, trusting and loving him more than many masters might have seemed to by the way they treated those they owned. Reading Bible verses about all of God’s children being equal to one another was most likely uplifting to people who were constantly told they were less than and simply property and chattel.

One of the most touching examples of great faith among this people group is the tale of the First African Baptist Church in Savannah, Georgia. In that city, there was a group of African Americans, many of whom were most likely former slaves. When they wanted to construct a church building but did not have the money, many sold themselves back into slavery so they could have a place to worship God. This is a touching and somewhat heartbreaking display of African American religious culture that have its roots in the faith millions built in slavery. Arguably, the African American Christians are one of the most devoted religious groups that exist in our country then and now. Even though groups like Catholic Christians may seem more devoted due to their many religious rituals, I disagree with this because true devotion also involves an unconditional willingness to devote anything and everything to something you believe in.

Through their musical and religious traditions, African Americans created a new culture and way of life in the New World that was a combination of African and American culture as well as other distinct factors. Through music, enslaved people expressed emotions and even messages through melodies. Religious faith, specifically Christianity, also became fundamental in the way African Americans lived their lives and survived the harsh conditions they faced throughout their lives.