Doddington, David S.  ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8658-0266
2026.
“I am persuaded it is done with their knowledge and connivance”: Black elders, fugitivity, and community in American slavery.
Journal of American History
113
(2)
, pp. 275-297.
10.1093/jahist/jaag181
|
Preview |
PDF
- Published Version
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution. Download (1MB) | Preview |
Abstract
This article focuses on the role Black elders played in crafting resistant cultures and building supportive communities in American slavery. I show how older slaves performed certain acts that enabled the resistance of others, and address their motives for doing so – whether presumed by external narrators or stated directly by the elder(s) themselves. I show that advanced age did not invariably stop enslaved people from participating in fight or flight themselves, even if they made up a small proportion of those who successfully found permanent freedom. In doing so, I emphasize not only the collective bonds and community dynamics that helped foster resistance among the enslaved, but I also underline the agency and endeavor of those who had suffered a lifetime of forced labor.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Date Type: | Publication |
| Status: | Published |
| Schools: | Schools > History, Archaeology and Religion |
| Publisher: | Oxford University Press (OUP) |
| ISSN: | 0021-8723 |
| Funders: | Leverhulme |
| Projects: | RF-2018-159\3 |
| Date of First Compliant Deposit: | 4 August 2025 |
| Date of Acceptance: | 1 August 2025 |
| Last Modified: | 01 Oct 2026 10:00 |
| URI: | https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/180218 |
Actions (repository staff only)
 |
Edit Item |
Dimensions
Dimensions