“A Troublesome Property: Master-Slave Relations in Florida 1821-1865” by Larry E. Rivers

The adage “You reap what you sow” is the saying that characterizes the times of slavery. Slave masters sowed bad seeds upon themselves by abusing, neglecting, undermining, and deceiving their slaves. In return, they reaped consequences of slave rebellion, slave wittiness, and overall the come up of the black race. In Larry Rivers “A Troublesome Property: Master-Slave Relations in Florida 1821-1865” he expounds on how slaves used what was supposed to make them oppressed and hopeless to their advantage by them learning how to outsmart their masters.

The masters had no clue what was going on their plantation in those supposed religious meetings. The slaves would use sermons and fake church services to plot on escaping. It was a brilliant idea in my opinion. Having the slave owners not know what was happening and then if they show up and pretend it was a service. I can see myself doing something like that. Some slaves did get caught and when they did they suffered the consequences. Most consequences included physical abuse and even murder. Unhappy with their uncomfortable living situations, slaves helped the masters “reap what they sold” by doing those witty things that led to consequences. Larry Rivers emphasizes the importance of religion in his short article. Religion helped get the slaves through their toughest life moments. Religion is the seed in the slaves; the masters did not want to grow because they know that with that, they were going to reap what they sowed.