Africans in Colonial America

What was the initial legal status of Africans in the British colonies?

• Free citizens

• Permanent slaves

• Similar to white indentured servants

• Landowners

Who was John Punch?

• A white indentured servant

• A black indentured servant

• A court judge

• A plantation owner

What did the 1662 law declare about children born to enslaved mothers?

• They were free

• They were sent back to Africa

• They were born into slavery

• They were indentured servants

What was the primary economic activity in the Southern colonies that depended on slave labor?

• Fishing

• Mining

• Trading

• Farming

What cultural elements did Africans in colonial America develop?

• Most adopted purely European customs including music, clothing, and food

• Storytelling, music, dance, food and agriculture were all blended to adapt to hardships

• Many converted to Buddhism and participated in meditations on the 8 fold path

• Traditional African culture was easily maintained despite restrictions on language and writing