Discuss how African-American religious traditions, both indigenous and acquired, interacted with the institution of slavery. What were the positive and the negative effects of these interactions?

Student’s name: Tutor: Course: Date: How the African-American religious traditions interacted with the slavery institution Introduction African-American religious traditions may be regarded as the ways of living by Americans as well as Africans with regard to spiritual aspects. Slavery on the other hand may be viewed as the situation whereby individuals were forcefully attained and required to offer labor services to their masters. Individuals in slavery were not allowed to enjoy freedom but were instead misused and handled inhumanly. However, slavery brought about a situation whereby considerable interactions were experienced among Americans and Africans. Americans as well as Africans initially had varying religious traditions which were based upon varying beliefs. However, their interaction brought about a situation whereby some religious tradition aspects were exchanged among them, such that Americans as well as Africans acquired various religious tradition aspects from each other. This implies that Americans ended up learning as well as acquiring certain religious tradition aspects from Africans, and Africans ended up acquiring some aspects from held religious traditions by Americans. This exchange highly influenced the ways through which individuals especially the Africans perceived slavery. The African-American traditions, which were religious in form, either acquired or indigenous, interrelated with slavery institution hence impacting upon it in considerable ways. African-American religious traditions and the slavery institution The various ways through which the African-American religious traditions interacted with slavery institution may be highlighted as follows. For instance, through the interactions of African-American religious traditions, it is apparent that Africans ended up acquiring substantial information bits concerning Christianity from Americans (Southern 21). This was a new religion to Africans and they ended up learning considerable aspects from it which highly changed ways through which they perceived themselves and their existing relationship with Americans whom they served in slavery. Due to Christianity influence, slaves realized that they also held similar rights to those held by their masters. It therefore dawned to them that the mistreatment which they were often exposed to was in opposition to Christian values. This served as awakening call for them to rise and demand for the various rights which they had long been denied (Chineau 2). For example, owing to the fact that Christianity supported equal treatment among all individuals, it is apparent that it highly challenged slavery. This implies that African-American religious traditions highly discouraged slavery existence hence highly shook the slavery institution. It is apparent that antislavery feelings were realized due to the experienced interaction amid African-American religious traditions (Lewis 14). This brought about resistance attempts towards slavery by Africans. Sources have pointed out that European Americans highly feared slaves’ introduction towards Christianity. This was because they realized that Christianity particularly within evangelical form gaining prominence supported the realization of antislavery feelings. Their fear was that ...