In attempting to gain an understanding in the Caribbean slave woman's role in resistance, there was a need for substantial research, but we found that there was a lack of relevant primary sources. This lack of information only reaffirms our belief that society during slavery days regarded the black enslaved woman as inferior and of little importance. Not only did it become important to shed light on the past, but also to recover the stories hidden by centuries of misunderstanding and undervaluing of the independence and strength of Caribbean women. This paper will focus on resistance to slavery among Caribbean women. Before we attempt to discuss these different aspects, we first have to define the forms of resistance.
Active resistance is more vigorous and has immediate results.
Such actions were more rare because of the penalties involved. During our research we found that we had to peel away many layers before reaching the core of active resistance. Many of these layers were laid down by enslaved women themselves, who worked resistance into all the aspects of their culture and tradition. One example of this phenomenon might be the practice of religion, a major part of life for Africans who were brought into the Caribbean. When forbidden to continue the practice of this aspect of their culture on the plantation, traditional religious practices then took on a deeper meaning for Caribbean slaves.