Except from the cotton, another important commodity of the antebellum south was the human beings (as salves). Slavery became an important basis of the southern economy. By the time of 1850, United States had a large number of human chattels who used to work in the cotton fields.
Slaves from whites abused arbitrary power. They copied by creating family and community networks. There were some of the things which provided comfort to the slaves from the cruelty of white people.
Storytelling, songs and Christianity were some the ways which provided comfort and allowed slaves to develop their own explanation of their situation.
