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<smintz@uh.edu> X-Posted from H-Slavery While it may certainly be true that some white Southerners appropriated the trope of aristocratic bearing and behavior among slaves to their own uses, and while this might make an interesting study in itself, I would like to suggest that aristocratic manners and behavior may actually have been an aspect of African American slave life before the Civil War. And that it may continue to be so, even today. I remember be struck while reading Terry Alford's book Prince Among Slaves: The True Story of an African Prince Sold Into Slavery in the American South (Oxford University Press, 1977) to notice the many comments on the behavior of Abd Rahman Ibrahima after his emancipation from slavery. He had been born and educated in a royal family in West Africa. All of the descriptions of Ibrahima note that he understood how to behave in high social circles and that he maintained an aristocratic behavior, even when presented at the White House. This behavior was extremely important in winning for him the sympathy of his supporters. More common tropes that whites attributed to their male slaves were those of the grovelling fool (Sambo), the violent rebel (Nat), or the sexual superman (Buck). I don't recall seeing many descriptions of artistocratic behavior. House slaves might be praised as well-behaved, of course. Nonetheless, within slave society their might be some occasions that required some slaves, at least, to assume an artistocratic bearing--as in religious ceremonies or other ritual occasions. Those who had come from royal families no doubt found says to reproduce at least fragments of their former lives even in slavery. I don't think that any of this is limited to men, by the way. Of course, there are other negative stereotypes that were applied to women slaves. But there are descriptions of such slaves who could behave as "queens." Regards, Anthony A. Lee West Los Angeles College
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