young. Slavery and the trans-Atlantic slave trade brought numerous

Africans, under forced and brutal conditions, to the New World. Of

particular interest to many recent historians and Africanists is the

extent to which Africans were able to transfer, retain, modify or

transform their cultures under the conditions of their new

environments. Three main schools of thought have emerged in scholarly

discussion and research on this topic. Some argue that there are no

significant connections between Africans and African American

communities in the Americas. Others argue that Africans retained

significant aspects of their cultures. Similar to this argument, some

have argued that Africans, responding to their new environments,

retained and transformed African cultures into new African-American

Detailed research done on slave communities in Surinam, South

Carolina and Louisiana allow us to look deeper into the stated

arguments. Having recently addressed the same issues using Colonial

South Carolina as a case study, I will focus largely on some of the

arguments and conclusions drawn from this study. The

made poisoning a felony punishable by death.

Africanisms could be that of the Maroon communities in Surinam. In the

Lower mortality rates among slaves, levels of freedom gained through

provided by Thornton on cultural transformation and change persuasive

cultural transformation that had taken place.

the realities of their new environments and transforming elements of

were prospects for passing on "changing cultural heritage to a new

cultural adaptation and borrowing. As witnessed in the Price

years on or behind their master's estates without being detected or

practices can be almost directly traced to their previous African

Anthropology, Thornton attempts to outline conditions for cultural

stresses the fact that "cultures change through constant interaction

African heritage to the Americas are entirely invalid.

Some common words found in the essay are:
South Carolina, Anthropology Thornton, Africanisms Maroon, African Diaspora, Creole Afro-American, African American, Mintz Price, Bright Broderick, Frazier Mintz, Colonial Louisiana, south carolina, colonial south, colonial south carolina, cultural transformation, west african, african culture, african american communities, american communities, argument cultural, aspects cultures, south carolina slaves, slave culture, gwendolyn hall, south carolina louisiana, argument cultural transformation,
Approximate Word count = 1747
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)