Slaves fought against their subhuman treatment in myriad ways, from passive resistance to armed insurrection. They defined their sense of self and shared humanity through an unquenchable desire to seek freedom from their oppressors. The variety of methods used by slaves to resist the institution that sought to subjugate them indicates the immense fiction that they were lesser creatures animated only by brutish instinct. The many acts of slave resistance and rebellion essentially defined the humanity of the slave. This encyclopedia details how slaves struggled against their bondage, highlights key revolts, and delves into important cultural and religious ideas that nurtured slaves' hunger for freedom. Though the primary focus is North America, the work's scope also includes the immensely important slave resistance developments in the Caribbean and South America. Selected studies of slave resistance from classical antiquity will also be considered in this work.
