Hush harbor
Encyclopedia
During antebellum America
, a hush harbor was a place where slaves would gather in secret to practice religious traditions. Religion grew to become a highly respected part of slave life. It offered the enslaved hope and reassurance that brighter days were to come. Slaves were forced to organize and conduct these meetings in secret because the idea of slaves assembling without supervision left the owners in fear. The meetings were held after dark, once field and house chores were completed, and carried on late into the night. The locations would vary so getting caught was less likely.
Christianity
was the prominent denomination pushed on the African Slaves after being transported to the Americas. This was the religion practiced by most of the slave owners who believed that by accepting and following the beliefs behind Christianity the slaves would become more subservient and all around better slaves. After being exposed to Christian ideas, the slaves began to understand them more and showed more interest. Slaves discovered promising stories and passages in the Bible
that offered hope. The story of Jesus Christ suffering on the cross drew attention because of the similar, harsh treatment they both received.
The hush harbors served as the location where slaves could combine their African religious ideas with the ideas recently presented to them from the Christian religion. It was safe to freely blend the components of each religion in these meetings. The slaves could let go of all their hardships and express their emotions. Here is where spirituals originated. The songs created by slaves to contain a double meaning, revealing the ideas of religious salvation and freedom from slavery. Two things they yearned for.
The meetings would also include practices such as dance. Dance was an activity Africans found very enjoyable and often included in their worship. African shouts
and rhythms were also included to encourage enthusiasm in guests.
Slaves would suffer severe punishments had they been caught in a hush harbor meeting. Slave owners were confident that they would compare treatment, working conditions, and punishments, leaving them worried about revolts and riots. They did not hold back when it came to punishments. The most common price would be a whipping. Whippings were gruesome and usually ranged from fifteen to twenty lashes. The punishments depended very little on gender or age. Slave owners felt anyone old enough to partake in the hush harbors was old enough to suffer the consequences.
African American churches taught that all people were equal in God's eyes and viewed the doctrine of obedience to one's master taught in white churches as hypocritical. Instead the African American church focused on the message of equality and hopes for a better future.http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/tserve/nineteen/nkeyinfo/aareligion.htm The possibility of obtaining freedom while growing closer to God and each other was enough motivation to continue on with the hush harbors, even though the stakes were high.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, a hush harbor was a place where slaves would gather in secret to practice religious traditions. Religion grew to become a highly respected part of slave life. It offered the enslaved hope and reassurance that brighter days were to come. Slaves were forced to organize and conduct these meetings in secret because the idea of slaves assembling without supervision left the owners in fear. The meetings were held after dark, once field and house chores were completed, and carried on late into the night. The locations would vary so getting caught was less likely.
Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
was the prominent denomination pushed on the African Slaves after being transported to the Americas. This was the religion practiced by most of the slave owners who believed that by accepting and following the beliefs behind Christianity the slaves would become more subservient and all around better slaves. After being exposed to Christian ideas, the slaves began to understand them more and showed more interest. Slaves discovered promising stories and passages in the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
that offered hope. The story of Jesus Christ suffering on the cross drew attention because of the similar, harsh treatment they both received.
The hush harbors served as the location where slaves could combine their African religious ideas with the ideas recently presented to them from the Christian religion. It was safe to freely blend the components of each religion in these meetings. The slaves could let go of all their hardships and express their emotions. Here is where spirituals originated. The songs created by slaves to contain a double meaning, revealing the ideas of religious salvation and freedom from slavery. Two things they yearned for.
The meetings would also include practices such as dance. Dance was an activity Africans found very enjoyable and often included in their worship. African shouts
Ring shout
A shout or ring shout is an ecstatic, transcendent religious ritual, first practiced by African slaves in the West Indies and the United States, in which worshipers move in a circle while shuffling and stomping their feet and clapping their hands...
and rhythms were also included to encourage enthusiasm in guests.
Slaves would suffer severe punishments had they been caught in a hush harbor meeting. Slave owners were confident that they would compare treatment, working conditions, and punishments, leaving them worried about revolts and riots. They did not hold back when it came to punishments. The most common price would be a whipping. Whippings were gruesome and usually ranged from fifteen to twenty lashes. The punishments depended very little on gender or age. Slave owners felt anyone old enough to partake in the hush harbors was old enough to suffer the consequences.
African American churches taught that all people were equal in God's eyes and viewed the doctrine of obedience to one's master taught in white churches as hypocritical. Instead the African American church focused on the message of equality and hopes for a better future.http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/tserve/nineteen/nkeyinfo/aareligion.htm The possibility of obtaining freedom while growing closer to God and each other was enough motivation to continue on with the hush harbors, even though the stakes were high.