How extensive was african culture on colonial america

From as early as the mid 16th century Africans were being involuntarily taken to colonial America to provide labour as slaves as what came to be known as the ‘slave trade’. It is believed that by 1775, the time of the American Revolution that slaves made up 1/5 of the American population, a figure that had risen to 1/3 by 1860. The demographics of the slave trade in the fact that vast numbers of Africans were being taken to America meant that there was definite and almost inevitable influence from African culture present in colonial America by 1860. Naturally African culture lived on in America through Afro-American salves. This culture was evolved and adapted over time as the slave population reproduced itself developing its own culture which held continuity with their ancestral African roots as well as holding continuity with colonial white culture from which emerged a hybrid society. A predominant example of this can be seen in religion, whilst many slaves adopted Christianity, a white religion, the presence of African influence in their religious practice is undeniable such as ‘call and response’ sermons as well as music and dance being common place. It can also be argued that African culture influenced colonial whites but th

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Christianity swept through both North and South America in the form of religious revivals known as the Great Awakening and the Second Great Awakening from the 1740’s through to the 1780’s. The stories of ‘Brer Rabbit’ and other folktales had significant influence of blacks and whites alike as such stories became so popular and widespread. Christianity also provided a point of focus for African-American culture as the blacks developed and extended their religious practice into there own branch of Christianity allowing the African-Americans to freely express and observe the traditions of African folklore.

To answer this answer this question in its entirety it is important to understand the slave trade and the ethnic diversity of the slaves themselves that were taken to America. In the South the black slaves fashioned Christianity into an instrument of support and resistance . However, this influence was predominant in blacks, notably in the south were slaves used their ancestral and cultural African roots to unify and provide hope and courage in the dark era of slavery.

In conclusion, there was significant influence from African culture in colonial America throughout the period. This belief explains the explosive nature of black religious practice which was unprecedented within white religion and was found to be shocking to some. For example a black in the ‘free’ North would have been welcome to attend congregations particularly those delivered by Baptists and Methodists whilst in the South many slave owners feared the messages of equality emerging from egalitarian preaching and on yet on the other hand as the revival spread some slave holders felt it their Christian duty to teach their slaves about the bible. The large number of slaves of African descent in America throughout the period means that a considerably level of African influence could be deemed has inevitable. For example in Virginia, one of most populous slave states of the period, it is known that first generation slaves were taken from Bight of Biafra, the Gold Coast and Angola with slaves being made captive within as much to a 1000 mile range of these ports, even as far inland as Nigeria. Americans began to abandon there hierarchical religion of their ancestors in favour of protestant Christianity. This meant forming extensive families whereby cohesion was pivotal to surviving slave life. Therefore there was considerable influence from African culture in family lives of the blacks in both the north and the south. Lemuel Haynes was an unusual black minister for his times, because in his fifty year career he preached to predominantly white congregations in Connecticut, Vermont, and upstate New York.

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