Religion as a Controlling Force During Slavery.

             The Turner Rebellion and Thomas Bacon"s.

            

             During antebellum, religion, in many cases, was used as a tool to control people, an institution of empowerment. Preachers conformed individuals to their views simply by backing their message with either signs from God or the word of God, the Bible. Nat Turner and Thomas Bacon are two prime examples of preachers that did just this. Thomas Bacon oppressed slaves during the eighteenth century by preaching a comprehensive view of the slaves duties and responsibilities in the eyes of God.1 Nat Turner, on the other hand, preached a message of signs he had received from God in order to conform fellow slaves to rise up and rebel against their current position in society. In both cases, those preachers used religion as a means of empowerment. .

             Thomas Bacon.

             Sermon to Maryland Slaves, 1749.

             Thomas Bacon was a preacher notorious for conforming slaves to think of themselves as creation of God placed on earth for a purpose. That purpose was "to assist and work for masters and mistresses that provide for them."2 In Bacon"s "Sermon to Maryland Slaves, 1749," he preached a message to black slaves to, basically, stay in line. Bacon begins his sermon by hyping himself up as a "messenger, watchman, and steward of the great Lord."3 This makes his audience of slaves look at him as not just a white man preaching his interpretation of the bible, but a divine individual preaching the word of the most powerful force in the world, God. Bacon then becomes friendly with his parishioners after he establishes his position of power by saying, "my dear black brethren .

             1. Butler, Religion in American History, 74.

             2. 74.

             3. 75.

             and sisters, I beg that you will listen seriously to what I say. You all know what love and affection I have for you and I do believe that most of you have always found me ready to.