On September 9, 1739, forty-four black slaves were executed by White slave masters in South Carolina for starting a rebellion. Pearson overlooks the deeper problem of the slaves trying to fight for power and control by focusing on how gender division played a major role in the start of the Stono Rebellion. During the 1700s, there are many different people hungry for power and control and by having slaves, they could gain a sense of that control. The dehumanization of enslaved African-Americans resulted in a rebellion that would allow them to possess full control of their own lives. While some historians may argue that gender division was a major factor in the rebellion, power struggle was the main reason for the start of the uprising.
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In the essay, “Anatomy of a Revolt,” by Peter H. Wood, he portrayed the Stono Rebellion as a chaotic yet effective way for the rebels to gain attention. Wood displayed the power that the slaves had by revealing, “other slaves could join them to make their troop nearly invincible by morning.” Describing the slaves as troops conveyed that they possessed power and were not afraid to fight their way out of South Carolina. They reclaimed the pride that they lost when they were enslaved, by making statements such as “liberty.” By declaring ‘liberty,’ the slaves were sending a message to the White slave owners that they do not have authority over them anymore and that they did not care for the consequences that they will face if they are caught. Additionally, Pearson discusses the task system in, “Rebelling as Men,” which allowed the slaves to gain some sense of freedom, but the slaves were dissatisfied with just the taste of freedom. Moreover, Pearson argued that the slaves had even less freedom when plantation owners switched to the gang system due to the rice revolution. Adding on, the author wrote that the slaves sacrificed everything they had for the rebellion implying that the slaves did not have much to lose anyway. They either had to serve their masters for their entire life or die trying to fight for control over their own lives. This highlights the constant battle for power and
In the essay, “Anatomy of a Revolt,” by Peter H. Wood, he portrayed the Stono Rebellion as a chaotic yet effective way for the rebels to gain attention. Wood displayed the power that the slaves had by revealing, “other slaves could join them to make their troop nearly invincible by morning.” Describing the slaves as troops conveyed that they possessed power and were not afraid to fight their way out of South Carolina. They reclaimed the pride that they lost when they were enslaved, by making statements such as “liberty.” By declaring ‘liberty,’ the slaves were sending a message to the White slave owners that they do not have authority over them anymore and that they did not care for the consequences that they will face if they are caught. Additionally, Pearson discusses the task system in, “Rebelling as Men,” which allowed the slaves to gain some sense of freedom, but the slaves were dissatisfied with just the taste of freedom. Moreover, Pearson argued that the slaves had even less freedom when plantation owners switched to the gang system due to the rice revolution. Adding on, the author wrote that the slaves sacrificed everything they had for the rebellion implying that the slaves did not have much to lose anyway. They either had to serve their masters for their entire life or die trying to fight for control over their own lives. This highlights the constant battle for power and