USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -Fearing that black literacy would prove a threat to the slave system–which relied on slaves’ dependence on masters–whites in many colonies instituted laws forbidding slaves to learn to read or write and making it a crime for others to teach them.

Detailed explanation-2: -Many slaves did learn to read through Christian instruction, but only those whose owners allowed them to attend. Some slave owners would only encourage literacy for slaves because they needed someone to run errands for them and other small reasons. They did not encourage slaves to learn to write.

Detailed explanation-3: -Slaves learned to read, even though literacy was outlawed in many slave codes, because it was a way for them to gather information that could be used to obtain their freedom. Literacy enabled them to communicate within the slave population, passing along information that might be useful for escape.

Detailed explanation-4: -Historically, there are many different types of slavery including chattel, bonded, forced labour and sexual slavery. The key characteristics of slavery are ones generally agreed such as the loss of freedom of movement and legal rights.