Final answer:
Enslaved Africans in America survived by leveraging their agricultural skills and forming new communities and cultures that blended African and American elements.
Step-by-step explanation:
Africans survived a life of slavery in America by drawing on a myriad of survival strategies, including the formation of new communities and the retention of elements from their rich cultural heritage. They relied heavily on their strong agricultural skills, which they brought from Africa and adapted to the environments of the Americas. This was essential for their survival as they labored in fields producing lucrative cash crops like sugar and tobacco for European markets. In addition to agriculture, they maintained their humanity and dignity through the creation of new kin networks, blending of African and Christian religious practices, the formation of new cuisines, and the preservation and innovation of music, dance, and storytelling traditions. While the range of skills possessed by Africans was broad, including crafts and trade, it was their agricultural expertise that played a key role in their endurance under the harsh conditions of enslavement.