Between the 16th and 19th centuries, enslaved people were brought to America. European traders captured or purchased Africans in West Africa and transported them in big ships that was poorly conditioned across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas. The conditions during the Middle Passage, were extremely harsh, with overcrowding, disease, and brutality. Enslaved people were sold and forced to work on plantations after arrival in the Americas. Some women were maids in households. For 400 hundred, the enslaved people went through unimaginable suffering, humiliation, and hardships.

• Slave Trade 

VIDEOS:

• History 1
• History 2

In Africa, music has been central to people's lives: Music-making has permeated essential in their daily life events and activities. When the  enslaved people came to the North American, they were forced to work in the cotton fields, especially in the southern part of the U.S. Under the hot sun, the whole family had to work hard and had no time to rest. The dried cotton boll hurt their fingers. Even after the enslaved people were freed, they still suffered from discrimination. They were not appropriately paid for the work that they had done. Life was still harsh in the 20th century. 

When the enslaved people worked in the field, they often sang and moved. The style of singing are more related to "ca;; and response." One people called out, and the other responded; which was part of the African culture. At first, the enslaved people sang in the Yuruba language and also played drum. The masters eventually noticed the enslaved people used the drum to deliver and messages when working. They bang it to avoid the enslaved escaped from the field. However, the enslaved people were smart enough to incorporate hidden meanings in their singing. They even used terms from the Old Testament to disguised their feelings and messages. 

The African population of the American colonies was initially introduced to Christianity in the seventeenth century. The acceptance of the religion was relatively slow at first. However, to help the masters communicate with the enslved people, they were sent to black churches. In the black churches, the enslaved population was fascinated by Biblical stories. From this, the enslaved people created spirituals that are closely related their experiences and stories. The songs reached its popularity in the last few decades of the eighteenth century.

For example, there are many hidden meanings in African American’s spirituals. In 17th and 18th centuries, drums, a communication tool, was banned, slaves used songs to express their feelings. While trying to avoid getting themselves into trouble, they sang songs with hidden meanings, expressing their anger, frustration, and even hopelessness. Wade in the water is song about escaping from their masters and hunting dogs by wading in the water. Slaves studied Old Testament in their churches, and thus related themselves to “the Children of Israelites,” hoping God would give them strengths and hopes; just as Moses led the Jews across the Red Sea to Jordon. Swing Low, based on Old Testament text, was sung by slaves to express their hopes of finding life after death. We should not overlook the hidden meanings that described those hundred years of struggle. 

At the same time, the children of the enslaved people were sent to Colored School 150 years ago. Their African dialects influenced some of the songs that the slaves sang. For example, Cumbayah – Come by me. 

VIDEOS:

• Africans' religion
• Old Testament
• Enslaved songs
• Underground Railroad
• Blues
• When the saints come marching in
• Gospel music 1 & 2