What are Spirituals?
Spirituals were created by the slaves to express their religious beliefs. The slave masters forced Christianity on the slaves so they could have better control over the them. The slaves because very strong Christians. After learning about the stories in the Bible they wrote songs or spirituals to share them. Some of the songs also served a protest to the idea of slavery. These songs often talk about hope that one day they wouldn't be slaves anymore.
Source: Go Down, Moses sheet music spiritual from 1917. Shows the melody of the music and how it was very low and slow.
Source: Louis Armstrong's rendition of Go Down, Moses, which shows a song that tells the white man (Pharaoh) to let the people go.
Source: Joe McDonald sings this rendition of Before I'll Be Beaten for Alan Lomax in 1940. He does some narration about life on the plantation and when he would sing this song.
Source: Roll, Jordan, Roll sang by the cast of 12 Years a Slave. A movie by Steve McQueen about slave life. Shows the emotion of the slaves and how they feel while they sing this spiritual.
Directions: Answer the questions about the previous from the documents.
What kind of mood do you think the slaves are in while singing these songs?
What do these songs tell you about life as a slave?
Do you believe that these slaves have become Christian or are they faking it for another purpose? Why or Why not? Give evidence to support your answer.
Do you think that these songs may mean something else? Why or Why not? Give evidence to support your answer.
What do these songs tell you about life as a slave?
Do you believe that these slaves have become Christian or are they faking it for another purpose? Why or Why not? Give evidence to support your answer.
Do you think that these songs may mean something else? Why or Why not? Give evidence to support your answer.