Slavery in the US

Comparison of Exchange of Our Country Marks Michael Gomez and The Slave Community: The Plantation Life by John W. BlassingameIn the book, Exchange of Our Country Marks, by Michael Gomez, the writer conveys countless historical stories and the book is a pronounced history of American slavery. Michael Gomez uses in incredible amount of resources that include but are not limited to, newspaper articles, diaries and other material used in order to create this book. Michael Gomez includes great details of experiences of Africans and African Americans.

Michael Gomez's book is compiled from the 18th " mid-19th centuries in combination with slave news stories, church records or earlier slave stories. With his knowledge and sources, Michael Gomez challenges many of the prevailing assumptions about slavery. One source used by Michael Gomez was, "The new conditions of slavery overtook all others".

Michael Gomez: stated, It is a study of their efforts to move from ethnicity to race as a basis for such an identity, a movement best understood when the impact of both internal and external forces upon social relations within this community is examined".

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(Gomez pg.4) In the beginning of the book he began with an experiment that was completed by Denmark, which occurred in Charleston, South Carolina in the 1822's. The experiment showed a multi - ethnic displaced African community. Michael Gomez displays exactly how the unique culture and heritage of Africa was conveyed in the New World. Michael Gomez reveals the thoroughness of the Middle Passage and the accomplishments the African slaves, which he describes very well.

Many Africans did not like the institution of slavery and decided to flee. There is a chapter in the book of Michael Gomez dedicated to the Muslims whose religion was connected with Arabia and Palestine, not their home land. The Muslims brought a changed understanding of themselves and their world with them. Michael Gomez points out that there was a history of western African society.

In the work of Gomez, he gives an insight into what was before, during and following the slave trade in West Africa. After their arrival, the slaves' history started to take shape. Michael Gomez explains how the African people were ethnically identified, rather than racially identified. The Africans still continued to share stories of their ethnic cultures with their children. The immigrants' came from a certain historical and social contexts and possessed social, religious and historical identity. Michael Gomez inspires us to revisit American history by proposing how different African communities reacted and share with the New World their unique culture and heritage. Michael Gomez also shows how even to this day the slave's history still helps shape our societies and cultures. In the book, The Slave Community: The Plantation Life, written by John W. Blassingame, the book addresses the slave issue from the slave's point of view, so the book is written differently from Michael Gomez's book. John Blassingame gives the slaves a voice rather than the slave owners. His book was written in a time of history full of misunderstanding and controversy, but was designed to project the lives of the slaves, instead of the slave owners.

Blassingame's is s based on true stories about slaves and recognizes black slaves in the experiences of America. The book also shows a sundry and unprecedented interpretation of Antebellum South of slavery and reveals that slaves were not necessarily obedient workers. Earlier books had suggested the slaves were obedient. It was believed that African Americans should tolerate servanthood, even if it was at the expense of their religion, family life, culture and values of life. John Blassingame shows how the slaves of African America struggled to keep the most important aspects of their culture and/or former life alive. John Blassingame points out that slaves survived by participating in histories and other rituals, including dance, which are important to their culture. He shows in his book that the slaves were able to form links despite the current situation to give them some hope for the future. In the book, John Blassingame addresses three main types of Black slaves. Sambo slaves obeyed their slave owners and believed them. These slaves were desired because of their personalities. At one point the Sambo's owners began to treat them badly and things changed. This is at the same point when the Jack type's slaves became irritated and unwilling to work. The type of slaves was rebellious and repeatedly attempted to escape bondage. They had a hard time with their owners. John Blassingame said this can be misleading based "the way slaves acted, as their masters expected" (Blassingame, 242-243).

John Blassingame attempts to prove that black slaves were not subject to white slave owners and could embrace the aspects of their culture. As a result, in order to remain alive, the slave did not need to be childhood or abjectly docile "(Blassingame, 249). In different ways John Blassingame depicts slaves in previous writers, as he uses actual accounts of slavery rather than second-hand explanations from the owners of white slaves. John Blassingame declares that slaves are respected somewhat inversely than white slave owners typically regarded as respected. The book tells the stories of slaves who can accept and have important cultural aspects and a picture of success because it could prove that the slaves were "more worth than a bullet" (Blassingame, 331).

John Blassingame had the courage to write this book, which as gives the reader the other side of the slavery scene. The book also, provides a historian reader a better understand of the way slaves were treated and how they what they had to do in order to survive. This book was not published without a great amount of criticism. Both books were very informative but give a totally different perspective of the life of a slave and what it was like to be a slave. While Michael Gomez uses countless numbers of historical stories and provides an insight into what it was like before, during and following the slave trade in West Africa. John Blassingame on the other hand almost has a voice for the slaves by addresses the slave issue from the slave's point of view and reveals that slaves were not necessarily obedient workers. These two books provided me a better understanding of slave life and what it might have been like during the slave trade times.