- Running away: This was the most common form of resistance, and it was often successful. Slaves who ran away often joined communities of runaway slaves, called maroons.
- Refusing to work: Slaves could also resist by refusing to work, or by working slowly and inefficiently. This could disrupt the plantation economy and cause financial losses for the slave owner.
- Sabotaging equipment: Slaves could also damage or destroy plantation equipment, such as tools, machinery, and buildings. This could slow down work and make it more difficult for the slave owner to profit from the plantation.
- Rebellion: In some cases, slaves rebelled against their owners. These rebellions were often brutally suppressed, but they could also be successful. The most famous slave rebellion in the United States was the Nat Turner rebellion of 1831.
Slaves resisted slavery because they wanted to be free. They wanted to be able to live their lives on their own terms, and they didn't want to be subjected to the brutal and oppressive conditions of slavery.