Final answer:
Slavery in the antebellum South was a cornerstone of the economy, with slaves relying on family and community networks, storytelling, song, and Christianity to cope with their condition. Traditional slavery in Africa differed from slavery in the New World, and European serfdom had some similarities but also differences from slavery. The life of a slave was characterized by inhumanity, suffering, and resistance.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the antebellum South, slavery was a fundamental part of the economy, with approximately 1.8 million slaves working in the cotton fields by 1850. Slaves faced arbitrary power abuses from whites and relied on family and community networks, storytelling, song, and Christianity to cope with their condition.
Traditionally, slavery in Africa differed from slavery in the New World in several ways. In Africa, slaves were not considered property and had some rights, the condition of slavery was not inherited, and the slavery might not last an entire lifetime. European serfdom, on the other hand, had some similarities to slavery but also had key differences, such as a different legal status for serfs and more limited rights.
The life of a slave was characterized by inhumanity, suffering, and resistance. Slaves developed communities and shared a sense of suffering, worked together to help their families, and engaged in simple acts of resistance to assert their agency and frustrate their owners.