Why were spirituals important to enslaved African Americans?
During slavery in the 18th and 19th century American South, slaves endured harsh treatments, such as beatings for petty mistakes, rapes, separations of families and the denial of access to literacy. Slaves sang spirituals to encourage themselves and for other purposes.Spiritual StrengthChristian slaves wanted to remain emotionally and spiritually strong so they could endure their suffering. Through spirituals, they asked God to meet their earthly needs, prayed for protection from physical harm and expressed their belief that one day God would free them.Code SongsAccording to NegroSpirituals.com, slaves used spirituals as code songs to alert each other when they wanted to escape to the North. This is evident in songs such as “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” “This Little Light of Mine” and “Steal Away.”Cultural ExpressionBecause slaves could not worship in the same churches as whites, they established their own worship services, and singing spirituals allowed them to incorporate their culture
