AUDIO BOOK READING chp 4 BREAKING THE CHAINS, ~ Resistance

AUDIO BOOK READING chp 4 BREAKING THE CHAINS, WM.L.KATZ

Jenny Smith Fletcher was the daughter of W. H. Smith, founder of Nicodemus. She was the first postmistress and schoolteacher in Nicodemus, Kansas. She was also one of the original charter members of the A.M.E. Church.
Formerly enslaved African Americans left Kentucky in organized colonies to experience freedom in the "promised land" of Kansas.  Nicodemus represents the involvement of African Americans in the westward expansion and settlement of the Great Plains. It is the oldest and only remaining Black settlement west of the Mississippi River.
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AUDIO BOOK READING - BREAKING THE CHAINS, Week 4 Chapter 4 Resistance

Although slave revolts constituted the most dramatic form of slave resistance, they were by no means the only method of reprisal. Arson proved to be an exceptionally effective and consequently frequent form of retaliation. In 1795, slave-set fires in Charleston, South Carolina, prompted the governor to declare a day of fasting. More arson there in 1804 resulted in the destruction of six ships and hundreds of homes. The problem of arson was so widespread that, in 1820, the American Fire Insurance Company of Philadelphia stopped issuing policies in the South.

Assaults and attempts at assassination were also common. In 1740, accusations that slaves were attempting to poison New York City's water supply resulted in widespread arrests and executions. Poison attempts were so frequent they were even referred to in the lyrics of at least one slave song. Vandalism and destruction of crops were also regular occurrences.