American Colonies: The Settling of North America

by Alan Taylor

By the mid-eighteenth century in the mainland colonies (but not in the West Indies), American-born slaves came to outnumber the African-born. At that point, resistance became more subtle. The second-generation “creole” slaves usually recognized that overt rebellion and maroon settlements were suicidal, given the superior numbers, arms, and organization of their oppressors. Shifting tactics, creole slaves ran away as individuals or pairs to try to disappear into the free black population of a seaport in another colony. Many more slaves stayed on their plantation but resisted covertly, by dragging out their tasks, feigning illness, pretending ignorance, and breaking tools—or by stealing their master’s hogs and alcohol. With these tactics, the blacks cleverly exploited the prejudices of their masters, who considered blacks innately lazy, stupid, and dishonest. Landon Carter of Virginia complained, “I find it almost impossible to make a negro do his work well. No orders can engage it, no encouragement persuade it, nor no Punishment oblige it.” His tone of resignation registered the small victory of his resisting slaves.