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A CENTURY OF RESISTANCEBY ENSLAVED AFRICANS

By: Tony Pham

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Purpose Of Slavery

Slavery has continuously practiced throughout the history of human

existence.

The earliest known trace of slavery can be traced back to 1770 B.C due to

the writings in the Code of Hammurabi.

All races and all civilizations have practiced slavery: China, India, Arabs,Africa and in the Americas. Throughout history people have made slaves of

their own kind and enslaved other races. White Europeans are were

exception.

People often think of slavery as an issue of racism and social Darwinism.

The main purpose of slavery was to create an efficient economy. “Why work when you can just fear and force to get what you want?” That

was the mentality of many slave owners.

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New York Slave Insurrection of 1741:

Causes

The insurrection was planned by poor whites and enslaved Africans in order

to elect a new king and governor.

At the time slaves in made up 1/5 of New York’s population which cause

fear among the poor Whites who needed jobs.

Often slave owners would train their slaves in the craftsmanship whichcaused racial and economic tension.

The governor of New York in 1737 told the legislature, “the artificers

complain and with too much reason of the pernicious custom of breeding

slaves to trades whereby the honest industrious tradesmen are reduced to

poverty for want of employ, and many of them forced to leave us to seektheir living in other countries.” 

As a result, many whites went out of business.

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New York Slave Insurrection of 1741:

The Bloodbath

The winter of 1740 and early 1741 caused an economic

depression which helped fuel the revolt as food and fuel

supplies were sacred.

Poor whites and slaves joined forces as a result. Resentful of

the government, in March and early April, they set a series 13

fires in Lower Manhattan which included Fort George, the

governor's house.

They wanted to burn the city, kill the white men, and elect a

new king and governor.

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New York Slave Insurrection of 1741:

The Aftermath 

Immediately after setting the fires, two unknown slaves were captured and

forced to confess.

In their confession, they named the co-conspirators which caused an

outbreak of arrests throughout New York.

The two slaves were burned at the stake while 160 blacks and 21 whiteswere arrested in the mass hysteria.

Executions began May 11 and ended on August 29, 1741. As a result, 17

slaves and 4 whites were hung. 13 slaves were burned at the stake. 70

blacks and 7 whites were banished from New York.

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1842: Slave Revolt in the Cherokee Nation:

Background

Often when we talk about slavery, we image Southern Whites, plantations,

and the atrocities but we’ve forgotten that the Five Civilized Tribes which

included the Cherokees, Choctaws, Chickasaws, Creeks, and Seminoles also

participated in enslaving Africans.

By the 1840’s the Cherokee tribe had approximately 4000 slaves of theirown. The Cherokees deepened on slaves as a way to assimilate into White

society and also as translators.

As the five tribes were forced to move westward, slaves sought the

opportunity of freedom as they planned to escape to Mexico where

slavery was already abolished.

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1842: Slave Revolt in the Cherokee Nation:

Headed Toward Mexico

On November 15, 1842, 25 slaves from the Vann plantation revolted as

they locked their master and overseers inside their homes as they were

sleeping.

They were also able to steal ammunition, weapons, and food to assist them

on their escape. As the sun rose, they made their escape as the Cherokeeslaves were joined by the Creek slaves.

The Choctaw Nation sent slave hunters who were killed as the runaway

slaves headed towards Mexico.

On November 21, the Cherokee Militia under the command of John Drew

sent out over 80 men to retrieve the runaways. On November 28, John Drew found the group of 31 fugitives slaves 7 miles

north of the Red River where they surrendered immediately.

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1842: Slave Revolt in the Cherokee

Nation: Vain Attempt

The fugitives surrendered to John Drew and his men on

November 28 because they were out of food and too weary

to show any resistance.

By December 7, Drew had returned the slaves to the Cherokee

Nation. On December 8, the Cherokee National Council

charged five slaves with the murder of the Choctaw slave

hunters.

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John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry

(1859) : Day I

October 16, 1859, JohnBrown an abolitionistamong with 16 white men,3 free black men, 1 freedslave, and one runawayslave attempted to start aslave revolt by takingcontrol of United StatesArsenal at Harpers Ferry inVirginia in order to supply

weapons to slaves.

“I, John Brown, am now quite certain that the crimes of this guilty land will never be purgedaway but with blood. I had, as I now think, vainly flattered myself that without very muchbloodshed it might be done.“

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John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry (1859) : Day II

By the morning of October 17, 1859, armoryworkers, the local militia, farmers, andmerchants had encountered and surroundedBrown and his men.

All escape routes were cut off and therefore

Brown and his men attacked resulting in thekilling of 4 townspeople which included themayor. Realizing that they were trapped ,Brown used his captives as forts.

John would later send his sons out waving awhite flag, they were immediately wounded.

By 3:30, President James Buchanan sent RobertE. Lee of the 2nd U.S Calvary to finish off Brownand his men.

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John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry

(1859) : Day III & Aftermath

By the time Lee and his menarrived, eight of Brown's 22-man army had already beenkilled.

Lee's men were able to

moved in and ended theinsurrection in a matter ofminutes.

In the end, ten of Brown'smen were seven werecaptured and five had flee.

On December 2nd, Brown wasexecuted only helping a chainof events to spark the CivilWar.

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Bibliography

1. "1741 New York Conspiracy." 1741 New York Conspiracy.N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2012.<http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/negroplot/plot1741home.html>.

2. PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2012.<http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part1/1p286.html>.

3. "CHEROKEE SLAVE REVOLT OF 1842." CHEROKEE SLAVEREVOLT OF 1842. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2012.<http://www.coax.net/people/lwf/SLAVE_RV.HTM>.

4. "Civil War Trust." John Brown's Harpers Ferry Raid. N.p., n.d.Web. 19 Nov. 2012. <http://www.civilwar.org/150th-anniversary/john-browns-harpers-ferry.html>.