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Write a 10 page academic paper. With the prompt:
Throughout American slavery, enslaved Africans used music as a means of survival, communication, and resistance. This essay will explore how the musical traditions developed during this era—particularly work songs, spirituals, and field hollers—served as the foundation for later genres such as jazz, blues, and gospel. Simultaneously, these musical forms arose in a context of economic exploitation that parallels the rise of capitalism.
This is my introduction and body I:
Throughout the awful institution of American slavery, music arose as an important cultural force for enslaved Africans, providing a means of survival, communication, and resistance. Work songs, spirituals, and field hollers were both reflections of pain and creative responses to it. Jazz, blues, and gospel are examples of musical genres that evolved from these expressions. At the same time, this music was influenced by the environment of economic exploitation, as slave labor powered the emergence of American capitalism. The merging of music, culture, and commerce during this time period paved the way for modern economic inequality. I will look at how music was used as a tool of resistance and survival, as well as the economic forces that exploited African musical traditions for the benefit of capitalism.
Enslaved Africans used music to oppose the dehumanizing conditions of slavery, preserve cultural identity, and foster a sense of community. Spirituals, which originated in African religious traditions but were influenced by Christianity, evolved into powerful expressions of hope, faith, and resistance. These songs frequently conveyed messages of escape or liberation, citing biblical heroes such as Moses and the Israelites who escaped slavery. Ramsey Lewis’ song “Wade in the Water” was thought to contain directions for fleeing via the Underground Railroad. Another powerful example of a song is “Steal Away,” written by Wallace Willis before 1862. The song’s lyrics, which speak of stealing away from Jesus, are a metaphor for freedom. The sentence “I ain’t got long to stay here” can be interpreted in several ways. For example, while it communicates a desire for spiritual liberation and freedom from suffering, it also contains a coded message indicating an impending release from bondage. The act of “stealing away” in the night, as mentioned in the song, could represent escape to freedom. These coded messages demonstrate how music served as a subtle but effective form of resistance, helping enslaved individuals to negotiate repressive situations while keeping their desires for freedom alive. These musical genres, which were typically based on African rhythms and melodies, provided a method for enslaved people to preserve their cultural history, pass along stories, and traverse the harsh reality of forced labor. Amiri Baraka claims in Blues People that spirituals and blues constituted a profound synthesis of African and Western elements, as well as the “soundtrack” of African American survival in the face of systemic brutality. The improvised character of these musical genres represented enslaved people’s adaptability, as they drew on their cultural past to create something new in response to their surroundings.
I need sources that support my essay.
Sources to use:
I added three sources to include. I need sources that help support my arguments being made.
https://read.dukeupress.edu/small-axe/article/20/1%20(49)/79/33404/Rebellion-Invention-Groove?casa_token=oNRYw-1cRfgAAAAA:dqKApbNcccqNN9Kjwfw2L7H1eFmMLuymwp1HVq1eaJcfIvm1Fo0p1LyHq4rdf69n1fGiG9zU7Q,Z8uFkXaPiOsAAAAA:gbfDueaFfHWkZ-q7986rFZ6Kjp2FNy1RWmCIipbk3Pn8UgxZ_NGFn5Y9SRLT4J4QkOsBwLXg8w
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