Identify specific African customs and practices that survived into the eighteenth century in North America. What sort of African cultural practices had the longest life in the Americas? Which African customs helped to delineate a unique African-American culture and which were incorporated into the broader American culture? Should colonial African-American culture be seen as distinct from white colonial culture or as an integral component of it?

In exile slaves all over the Americas perpetuated certain rites and beliefs from their original cultures. Songs, music and dances (like Rumba in Cuba, Candombé in Brazil/Uruguay, Calypso in Trinidad & Tobago) thus punctuated the ceremonies that paid tributes to ancestors. The (white protestant) religious gatherings in the U.S. in the 19th century called The Great Awakening were (rhythmically) modified by the afro americans and converted into Negro Spirituals that evolved into Gospel (church) and Blues (worksong). Modern Jazz but also Rock-and-roll can be seen as the perfect molding of essentially Negro-blues with American - thus European because of the immigrants - culture. Birth of the cool by Miles Davis is a good example of integrating European harmony with Afro american rhythms. It has been said that New Orleans is the cradle of the Blues, but in my opinion the real cradle of the blues is to be found in Africa.