Paper Example on Race and Colonial America

Introduction

In his book, Peter Wood documents the forced migration of Blacks to America, emphasizing on the experiences they had back in the colonies of North America under the jurisdiction of England. Through the revelations, he outlines a chronological order of what he terms as the "the terrible transformation" augmenting his assertions by facts on the unavoidable circumstances under which race-based slavery was progressed. In so doing, the nature of bondage and the dreaded conditions under which the Africans had to survive is clearly outlined through the course of the colonization period from the seventeenth century, resulting in the establishment of a racial denomination in its entirety. In light of his arguments, slavery was established as an institution, ordinated in the careful hands of its masters who erected its chronological form for an extended period. It is this transformative process that Wood details in his book Strange New land outlining how race eventually formed the fundamental defining element of the slave labor system.

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Highlighting the North American colonization, Peter Wood delineates slave transformation from a rather brutal form of indentured, inhuman servitude under the care of Native Americans, transforming into a whole full-blown system of race-based slave domination. Thus, Strange New Land demonstrates the brevity and resilience of the Africans, outlining their painful experiences with an emphasis on their adaptation to the brutal process of immigrating them to America, ultimately shaping the American racial-slavery contours through many methods. They include but are not limited to taking the English language, mastering it and making their own language culture, transforming the Christian religion after converting, combining their original faith with the doctrine of their master in perfect harmony to avoid punishment, introducing the Old World into Native American culture by recalling a number of skills, traditional African dances, stories and beliefs into their slavery life forming a basis for the triumphant tale of their resilient survival. It is through the toughening process that they learned how to listen and talk, openly and fearlessly of liberty and freedom, embracing the fundamental rights of a man, and even petitioning their appointed colonial administrators while insisting on the elemental human rights. The process, which is mostly gradual, grew on and on to become an imposition on hereditary race slavery. Though some people had experienced the first winds of slavery, the nature of slavery changed considerably from one colony to another under the influence of powerful and competitive governments fighting to have as many slaves as possible throughout the Atlantic world. Wood details further that the next step of enslavement took the form of color rather than religion, which subjected all black-skinned people to life exploitation. The self-perpetuating and cruel system soon gained a firm hold in various parts of America, but most conspicuously, Wood points out North America.

He further provides in-depth demonstrations and illustrations of how the Africans, rather interestingly, adapted their healthy way of life to the life in a "strange new land," working through the hardships presented to them to form a culture of their own that later defined a part of the American language till today.

Despite the terrible hardships, the Africans managed to create, establish and develop a lasting culture of their own which formed part of their cultural identities. Interestingly, the Africans developed an immense love for each other where all adults took it upon themselves to watch over all children in the plantations. In fact, Wood details that the Africans were frequently married, maintaining robust and inseparable family ties in the midst of unknown risk of separation. The author further considers the differences in the social and cultural life of African colonists through an adept glimpse into the emergence of a distinctly African-American cultural identity. In his examination of particular work routines, foodways, family formation, the manner of dress, language, music, modes of resistance and religion,

Wood explores the culture of African-Americans, arguing that the slaves sought to blend the old elements of African culture with the general aspects of European culture as well as Native American. Forced migration and their subsequent stay in America was a unique immigration narrative that was coupled with inexpressible hardships. The experience was often primitive, if not lethal, as presented by Wood, where two in five black captives died during the forced migration through the Atlantic Seacoast. He further explains how the slave owners punished their slaves harshly, often auctioning them and separating them from their families by selling off the most valuable family members at the time. Their experience through slavery is narrated as a painful one characterized by brutality, scars of lashes and torment. Their humanity, in Wood's perspective, was taken away, exposing them to harsh conditions where they were just possessions that would be given away at any given point to the pleasure of their master. As slaves, the Africans were unable to acquire any property of their own, keep their families together or access the fundamental human rights. Most, if not all of them, were made to survive without necessities. Wood illustrates how they suffered from the encounters of the slave trade, their struggle for freedom and labor, but interestingly they survived through it all and resisted the slavery encounters that they were being exposed to.

In respect to Religion, spiritual songs, often referred to like the music of worship, were composed with lyrics and melodies that expressed the religious belief and endurance of the African slaves. In fact, the book clearly notes that the lyrics of most spirituals were often altered by the African composers and musicians to celebrate resistance while engraving the immense hope they had for freedom in the coming days. In time, as Wood details, American dance, theatre and music was enriched by the African culture, which saw the penetration of the African rhythms into European marches and Christian hymns. For instance, the blues were born out of a combination of European and African musical scales while the Vaudeville was a partial extension of black street artistic song and dance performed by most slaves. Thus, against the troubling and endangering backdrop of African slavery in the hands of the American colonists Strange New Land explores the social and cultural life of the African Americans, illustrating how through their resilience and adaptation to the state of events formed the North American community.

By the end of the colonial period, the African-American had glimpses of hope to be liberated and freed from slavery. They looked forward to gaining back their humanity and acquiring property and access to fundamental human rights as any rational human beings. Wood narrates that by the beginning of 1800, free blacks, who had now been joined by a few whites begun to protest in request for the abolition of slavery. Popular black editors and writers formed part of the reason why the blacks understood their human rights and the principles underlying the end of servitude. In their quest, as indicated by Wood, most African Americans were agitating for natural justice, political freedom and humanity in the sense of the fundamental human rights of an individual. Blacks, in fact, looked forward to the day a just declaration would put an end to servitude rendering them free from the colonial rule. They were fighting towards the liberation of their people and their dignity. Although a number of challenges confronted them in their hopes, Wood highlights the fact that their freedom brought along the need to build their churches, schools and the purchase of properties including land and physical developments. Although they were able to vote themselves to office without necessarily being hindered, Wood points out the challenges they encountered that were mostly instigated by whites who did not support the emancipation of the African Americans.

The surviving white power "organized structure" was unhappy with the new developments, with objectives to suppress blacks through terrorist raids and lynching organized by groups like the Ku Klux Klan. Their actions entailed burning schools, churches, and homes that belonged to African Americans. However, Wood highlights in a light note how through the looming challenges, the Black American culture blossomed, black pride was preached near and far, black commerce blossomed and was embraced by the whites, and how racial separation was discouraged to enhance the social-cultural identity of the black artists, writers, intellectuals and leaders. Ultimately, Black Americans formed part of the most significant contributions to the Native American culture and society, influencing the entertainment industry, the business culture, artistic aspects, literature, law and most importantly the politics of the land to become a culture that endures, achieves and leads.

Work Cited

Wood, Peter H. "Strange new land: 1619-1776." To make our world anew: A history of African Americans (2000): 53-102.