They were folk songs that combined Protestant hymns with West African musical styles. The Bible was a major source of inspiration for spirituals.
Most spirituals refer to people or events in the Bible.
Many relate to the story of Moses leading the Jews out of bondage in Egypt. Enslaved African Americans saw the parallel between the Jews' story and their own. Many spirituals were work songs. Enslaved African Americans sang them to ease the monotony of the labors in the fields. Spirituals were also a means for slaves to communicate.