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Hidden Meanings in Slave Spirituals by Aristotle Calayan Castronuevo is a document available to read on EtoBox.
Slave spirituals often had hidden meanings that allowed slaves to communicate secretly. On the surface, the songs referenced religious themes like heaven and Jesus, but they also contained coded messages about escaping slavery and resisting their captors. For example, the song "O Canaan, Sweet Canaan" outwardly spoke of longing for heaven but also expressed a desire to escape to the North. Slaves even used songs like "Steal Away to Jesus" to announce the time and place of secret meetings. While whites heard
- Author
- Aristotle Calayan Castronuevo
- Language
- EN