Final answer:
Conversion in a slavery context for African Americans usually refers to forced adoption of new religions. This was often taken for 'civilizing' the enslaved Africans but in reality, the focus was on labor productivity rather than religious education. Many enslaved Africans maintained or blended their native spiritual practices with new elements.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the context of African American slavery,
conversion
often refers to the process of enslaved Africans being forced to adopt new religious beliefs or practices, usually Christianity. This conversion was often justified by the enslavers as a means to 'civilize' the enslaved Africans. However, despite this, very little religious conversion actually took place because the focus was more on maximizing labor productivity rather than religious education. In some parts of Africa, people also converted to Islam to avoid being enslaved, as Islamic law forbade the enslavement of fellow Muslims. Furthermore, not all enslaved Africans converted to Christianity or other religions. They crafted their own spiritual practices, which were a blend of Christian elements and traditional African spiritual practices. These practices often carried an uplifting message of eventual freedom from bondage.
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