Within each ethnic group, there are many forms of culture. Each culture is divided into different categories. These categories can be called subcultures. Subcultures are smaller segments of a culture that are not averse to the culture. Examples of these subcultures are music, religion, fashion and cuisine. In African-American culture, the cuisine of choice is Soul food. Soul food is not only a great food choice, but it also plays an important role in African American culture. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Between 300 and 1619 is when the first slaves arrived in America in Jamestown, Virginia. Many of these slaves were farmers, cattle ranchers, and even fishermen. When embarking on their journey to America, slaves often brought several plants such as okra, watermelon, black-eyed peas, yams, and even sweet sorghum. During the period of African American slavery, slave owners controlled the portion of food slaves received, often giving them simple portions of starches and meats. Due to lack of food, slaves were forced to improvise. This resulted in cleaning, gardening, hunting and raising livestock. Slaves had to learn to combine their previous knowledge of cooking in Africa with their new culinary knowledge passed on to them by Europeans. Slaves imported various techniques from Africa such as boiling, cooking cabbage, frying and grilling. These same techniques were later used in South America, including ribs, fried chicken as well as seafood. The use of these techniques became a necessity due to the harsh food conditions that existed on the plantations. As slavery of African Americans began to increase around America, so did African American cuisine. Not only did food provide nutrition for slaves, but it also created a sense of unity, with cooking being used as a way to express themselves. Slaves often spent 18 hours a day on the plantation where they could not express themselves, spend time with loved ones, or even enjoy a home-cooked meal. So they loved coming home and getting a home-cooked meal. African American cuisine not only filled the stomachs of slaves, but was also a source of knowledge for slaves. Many slaves could not read or write, so when creating these meals, they simply memorized them and passed them down verbally to future generations. Slaves not only contributed to American cuisine, but they also helped play a major role in the American political system. The food and labor produced by slaves helped America experience growth and prosperity in its economy. This era was known as the Progressive Era and lasted from 1860 to 1910. Then came the Reconstruction Era, also known as Emancipation. In honor of emancipation, many black church gatherings were held. Foods such as fried chicken, fried fish, yams, watermelon, and red drinks were served and considered party foods. Although for blacks, emancipation brought a new sense of freedom, sharecropping would become a new burden on African American culture. This would then lead to the Great Migration during which more than 6 million.