Final answer:
The practice by which slaves appeared compliant but subtly resisted slavery is called day-to-day resistance and included sabotaging work, feigning ignorance, and in more serious cases, poisoning. It was a response to the paternalistic ideology used to justify slavery and involved undermining the illusion of contentment and submissiveness.
Step-by-step explanation:
The practice through which slaves gave the appearance of submissiveness and cooperation to keep their enslavers "off balance" and to secretly resist their condition is termed day-to-day resistance. Enslaved individuals engaged in acts such as pretending to misunderstand instructions, working slowly, or sabotaging tools, which slaveholders often misattributed to the perceived inferiority or childishness of slaves rather than recognizing these actions as forms of rebellion. Some slaves even resorted to more serious acts such as poisoning their enslavers. Additionally, the dynamics of reporting fellow slaves for rebellious actions might have been exercised to gain more lenient treatment or to navigate the complex power structures within slavery.
The idea of paternalism was frequently used by Southern whites to justify slavery, as they claimed to have the best interests of slaves in mind. This notion was a gross misrepresentation of the cruel reality of slavery. Despite the constant threat of violence and punishment, which included psychological coercion and physical violence, slaves actively found ways to resist and push for autonomy within the oppressive slave system.