There were several ways in which slaves could protest their enslavement. They could work slowly, pretend illness, break tools, burn down barns or homes, poison food, run away or finally they could revolt. While the consequences grew in severity as the protests did, all forms of protest had negative effects. Even if not caught, most of the protests effected the planter’s income and one sure way to make money fast for a planter was to sell a slave, which could mean either the slave or their family gone.
Historically Speaking 