Ryan F.
2015

African Religion
Source:Interpreter, Williamsburg. “African Religion.” African Religion…

Africans went into the woods because they were not allowed in churches. Anglicans did not like them going into the woods but they could not stop the Africans. It’s illegal for 3-5 Black men to be together not under a Christian’s supervision. Yet many went together in the woods. The Portuguese thought it was there duty to convert the Africans to Christian from their traditional African religion to christian.

Paraphrase: See quotes

My Ideas: The way the Africans arrived in Colonial America and became enslaved was when the Portuguese were steal African men from African countries. The Portuguese thought it was the duty to convert the Africans to Christianity. While the Africans were on Portuguese ships the English ships raided them. The English expected to find loot and wealth on the ship but found about 20 black men. They took them to America and enslaved them. The Africans wanted to keep up their Religion but they could have a bible or go to church. So they decided to break the law which was no more then 5 black men can be together not under supervision of a Christian. The Africans risked their lives for their faiths because that was basically all the had left. Night after night the Africans would sneak into the woods and practice their religion. If they were caught they would be in trouble. The Africans used to believe in their traditional African religion but while they were on the Portuguese ships they were converted to Christianity. If the English were the ones that brought them from Africa American history would be changed for ever. But they were not so history stays the way it was. If the Portuguese did not convert them I wonder what history would be like then. I would assume that traditional African religion would become a major religion in America.

Sophie Whelan
2015

African Beliefs

Source:

Nardo, Don. Religious Beliefs in Colonial America. Brainerd: Bang Ptrinting, 2010. Print.
Quote:

As for the Africans forcibly brought to North America, many held on to their ancestral religious belifs as long as they could. Some thoughtful European observers noted that several African faiths had a supreme deity not unlike the Christian one. One difference was that the African deity was said to have created a number of lesser gods. Also, many African whorshippers did not pray to their chieif god because they saw him too lofty to care about humans. Also common in many African faiths were divination (predicting the future by observing natural occurences such as animal behavior) and communicating with deceased ancestors. Little written documentation of these Afican faith has survived. One exception is a tract penned by Olaudah Equiano, a colonial slave who gained his freedom and became highly educated.

Paraphrase:

– the Africans were forced to go to North America

– the Africans stuck with their religion

– African faiths had a deity, just like the Christians

– several Africans did not pray to their god

– There is not much information left of the African religion

– Olaudah Equiano was a colonial slave, he gained freedom and was soon well educate

My Ideas:

The Africans were forced to pick up their lives and move to America, their lives changed completely. Eventhough their lives changed so much, they kept their religion for as long as they could because it meant to much to them. It was the one thing people were always able to turn to. Many Africans had a deity much like Christianity did. After studying religion, I am beggining to realize that there are so many different types of religion but all of them are alike in some way. Olaudah Equiano must’ve grown up in Colonial America, surrounded by slavery. It must’ve been so hard to grow up thinking that you were going to be a slave the rest of your life and that your life was never going to change for the better. However, Olaudah changed his life for the better by working hard to gain his freedom and become educated, unlike the others in his community.