Final answer:
Enslaved and free African Americans engaged in quiet resistance through acts of sabotage, deception, and strategic behavior within the system of slavery.
Step-by-step explanation:
An example of enslaved and free African Americans engaging in quiet resistance was through acts of sabotage and deception within the system of slavery. For instance, some slaves would hide their intelligence and feign ignorance in order to slow down the workday or sabotage the system in small ways, such as accidentally breaking tools. Others engaged in more dramatic forms of resistance, such as poisoning their masters slowly. Additionally, some slaves would inform their masters about planned slave rebellions, hoping to gain preferential treatment.