Resistance+To+Slavery

=Individual Acts= Organized revolt was not most common and the only kind of revolt. Individual acts were also very common for slaves to do. The main objective was to mess up or upset the routine of the farm and/or process. An example of this is pretending to be ill. If the slaves are sick their masters usually would not force him/her to do any "over the top" work that day in prevention of the slave getting any sicker. Another way is to do the job poorly. They usually got punished severely for this but it worked toward the main goal of destroying the farm process. Slaves also revolted by setting fire to buildings and destroying farm equipment. Both of these examples prevent the farm from running. Lastly, they would also steal any food they could get their hands on. This are just a few minor ways in which slaves revolted. =Underground Railroad= The underground railroad was a system in which slaves were helped in their journey from the north to the south. Opponents of slavery allowed their homes, called stations, to be used as places where escaped slaves were provided with food, shelter and money. These stations were usually located about 20 miles apart. The slaves would usually hide during the day and travel at night. People who ran these stations were known as "conductors." They used covered wagons or carts with false bottoms to carry slaves from one station to another. A famous conductor was Harriet Tubman who made 19 trips to the south saving around 300 slaves. Harriet Tubman was considered such a threat to the slave system, at one point her slave owners offered a $40,000 for her capture. Plantation owners became concerned at the large number of slaves escaping to the North and in 1850 managed to persuade Congress to pass the fugitive slave act. This meant any person assisting a runaway slave by providing shelter, food or any other form of assistance was liable to six months' imprisonment and a $1,000 fine. This fugitive slave act failed to stop the underground railroad. Many fines were paid but it did not stop. By around the middle of the 19th century an estimated 50,000 slaves had escaped to the north using the underground railroad.

**Rebellions** When most people think of resisting something they think of rebellions. What is surprising to most people is that slave rebellions were not very common due to the mental state of the slaves. Often slaves outnumbered the whites but rebellion was usually not the answer. This is because slaves did not have the weapons and the power that the whites had. If plantations owners even had the slightest thought that slaves might start a rebellion, they would become a lot more strict and give punishments much more often and usually much greater. Of the few rebellions that did occur, one of the first was Stono Rebellion. It took place in modern day South Carolina. These are just some of the rebellions that took place over slavery.

=Song and Music= Song and music played a major role in the resistance of slavery. Spirituals had a lot of power in keeping slaves motivated to keep going on another day. This is just one of the many reasons for spirituals. Another example may have included support for each other and staying positive. Without this attitude they would never be able to stay alive. Hope for freedom is another example, this usually was what kept slaves going and fighting for. Also religion and tradition is very important to the resistance. Keeping traditions alive for generations gave the slaves some pride for all the enormous amount of labor they performed every day. These songs gave the slaves some joy and hope for a better life.

Famous songs:
 * Run Children Run
 * Go down Moses
 * Wade in the Water
 * Follow the drinking gourd
 * Keep your lamps
 * Free at last