Identity, Ideas, Beliefs, and Culture 1801–1848 - AP U.S. History

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Not being allowed to hold meetings on the plantation, the slaves assemble in the swamps, out of reach of the patrols. ... The speaker usually commences by calling himself unworthy, and talks very slowly, until, feeling the spirit, he grows excited, and in a short time, there fall to the ground twenty or thirty men and women under its influence. ...The slave forgets all his sufferings, except to remind others of the trials during the past week, exclaiming: "Thank God, I shall not live here always!" Then they pass from one to another, shaking hands, and bidding each other farewell, promising, should they meet no more on earth, to strive and meet in heaven, where all is joy, happiness and liberty. As they separate, they sing a parting hymn of praise.

Passage adapted fromPeter Randolph's "The Difference Between the Christianity Taught by Masters and Practiced by Slaves" (1893)

Which of the following assertions does this paragraph best illustrate?

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Answer

Africans and African descendents working in the early modern Atlantic commercial system were exposed to the world of European Christianity as early as the fifteenth century, when Portuguese missionaries came to the coasts of Africa. Some slaves, therefore, brought Christian beliefs with them when they were thrust into slavery. Others converted in America. Even blacks who embraced Christianity in America, however, did not completely abandon Old World religion. Instead, they engaged in syncretism, blending Christian influences with traditional African rites and beliefs. This allowed them to maintain their own cultures and religions as a tool to resist the brutal, often dehumanizing effects of slavery.

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