Rebellion and Resistance

By: John, Issac, Kai, Danielle, and Bryce

 Introduction
The transatlantic slave trade was a process where a group
of people had been demeaned and maliciously exploited.
However through and through the exploited people had
fought back and had rebelled again and again to this
opposing force. Even though many people had been
inflicted with pain they didn’t stop rebelling, even if the price
had been their death. Their resistance ranged from big
rebellions to little things such as, slowing down in work or
holding onto little bits of their african culture. From the
second the slaves were pushed down and boarded those
fateful ships, they fought back.
 Wedgwood Medallion
The Wedgwood Medallion says “Am I not a
Man and a Brother?” around the the edges.
The medallion was made in 1787 by Josiah
Wedgwood. It was used to promote the anti-
slave trade movement and brought the
abolitionist movement in the public eye. Josiah
wanted the people to know what was
happening to the slaves.
Creator: Josiah Wedgwood
Date: 1787
Country: England
Historian: Issac
Head Scarf
Slave Masters would have their
slaves wear head scarves as a way to
show that they were slaves to further
isolate them from other people. This
however the head scarves originated in
Sub-Sahara Africa. It varied depending on
the region but it signified a communal
identity. The slaves then used these head
scarves to provide a form of cultural
resistance and communal and personal
identity. This scarf was worn by Nancy
Burns. Nancy Burns, 1884, New York, Cotton. 33 ½ cm x 15 cm,
The American Museum in Britain.
‘Runaway...Jack’ Advertisement
This advertisement was posted in 1779. It
offers a large reward for the return of a
runaway slave, named Jack. Since enslaved
people were such an important piece on
plantations, large rewards were given for their
capture and return. Around this time a very
common form of resistance from the hardship
and suffering of slavery was escape. Although
many slaves new that this type of rebellion Source: “Runaway Jack” Advertisement
would result in harsh punishment, this did not This was printed in 'Jamaica Mercury and
Kingston Weekly Advertiser', 1779
stop them from pursuing their freedom.
Historian: Danielle Okeke
 Slave Poison Antidote
This is a newspaper article from the 1750s
written by the Bristol Weekly Intelligencer. It
gives a antidote for slave poison and the recipe
for the poison itself. Plantation owners of the
time were very concerned about resistance from
the slaves. Especially the ones who cooked their
food. These slaves brought over skills in
medicine and plants which could turned against
their owners. This pamphlet was presumably
printed for the benefit of nervous plantation
owners.
Source: Bristol Weekly Intelligencer
Date: 3rd March 1750
Copyright: BBC Library Service Historian: Bryce
Europeans’ Attempts of Suppression
Munity was widely used as a form of resistance. This
picture was published in an abolitionist’s newspaper in the
1800s. The published picture shows how slaves had been
punished/killed by being thrown overboard for attempts to
munity. Despite cruel and dehumanizing punishments the
slaves had not stopped fighting for their freedom. To
reach the goal of being free, living their life. The numbers
also show that 1/10 of slave ships had experienced some
form of slave uprising. From individuals jumping Source: Slavery and Remembrance
overboard to groups fighting back of the ship crew. The http://slaveryandremembrance.org/article
Europeans saw as a threat. s/article/?id=A0035 , 1832

By. John Cheon

Conclusion
Slave resistance took many forms. From taking over entire ships to just working
slow. Slaves ran away, took over ships, poisoned their owners, and so much
more. There resistance to their oppressors is legendary and is still talked and
taught today. The oppression of slaves is extremely important to learn about, but
their resistance is just as important. Even though they were oppressed, beaten
down, left for dead. The slaves never gave up. They worked and fought until there
freedom was achieved, from the first slave ship across the atlantic to the
emancipation proclamation and onward they never gave up.