V What is Resistance?

-the action of opposing something that you

disapprove or disagree with

Over the years, there was daily resistance by

African men and women as they tried on the
one hand to keep control over their own lives
and on the other hand to keep control over
their own lives and on the other hand sabotage
the prosperity of their masters.
V We can group resistance into two categories:

V Ô
-Active resistance is more vigorous and has

immediate results. Such actions were more rare
because of the penalties involved. Some of these were:
refusing to engage in copulation with the master,
damaging and destroying owners· property, (whatever
machinery, livestock, burning of mills); stealing and
the most active of all, murder and revolt.

V d

-Passive resistance involves the following: Slow

working, pretending ignorance and deliberate
carelessness.
V Ô



 
V One example of this phenomenon might be the
practice of religion, a major part of life for
Africans who were brought into the Caribbean.
When forbidden to continue the practice of this
aspect of their culture on the plantation,
traditional religious practices then took on a
deeper meaning for Caribbean slaves. Through
religion and dance, they were able to release
themselves to their gods and at the same time
engage in a form of passive resistance.
V 2ook at page 127-128 of the Caribbean Story
text book. Read the section entitled ´Many
forms of Resistance.
V Make a chart in your book Then list the forms
of Resistance their under the following
categories:

Ô



  d




 
V Marronage
V This term is used to describe the lifestyle of the
runaway slaves who established their own
communities.
V The most successful created something more
than a simple hideout in the mountains or the
bush.
V The built permanent villages where they ruled
themselves under chosen leaders, grew their
own food, provided their own medical care
and often traded with other maroon groups.
V ½n your notebooks write a paragraph
explaining what Maroonage is and identify the
characteristics of the Maroon lifestyle.