▁and ▁Central ▁African ▁cult ures . ▁Although ▁sla very ▁greatly ▁restricted ▁the ▁ability ▁of ▁African - Amer icans ▁to ▁practice ▁their ▁original ▁cultural ▁trad itions , ▁many ▁practices , ▁values ▁and ▁belief s ▁surv ived , ▁and ▁over ▁time ▁have ▁modified ▁and / or ▁bl ended ▁with ▁European ▁cult ures ▁and ▁other ▁cult ures ▁such ▁as ▁that ▁of ▁Amer ind ians . ▁African - American ▁identity ▁was ▁established ▁during ▁the ▁sla very ▁period , ▁producing ▁a ▁dynamic ▁culture ▁that ▁has ▁had ▁and ▁continues ▁to ▁have ▁a ▁prof ound ▁impact ▁on ▁American ▁culture ▁as ▁a ▁whole , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁that ▁of ▁the ▁bro ader ▁world . ▁ ▁El abor ate ▁rit uals ▁and ▁cer emon ies ▁were ▁a ▁significant ▁part ▁of ▁African - Amer icans ' ▁ancest ral ▁culture . ▁Many ▁West ▁African ▁soci eties ▁tradition ally ▁believed ▁that ▁spirits ▁dw elled ▁in ▁their ▁surrounding ▁nature . ▁From ▁this ▁disposition , ▁they ▁treated ▁their ▁environment ▁with ▁mind ful ▁care . ▁They ▁also ▁generally ▁believed ▁that ▁a ▁spiritual ▁life ▁source ▁existed ▁after ▁death ▁and ▁that ▁ancest ors ▁in ▁this ▁spiritual ▁real m ▁could ▁then ▁medi ate ▁between ▁the ▁supre me ▁Cre ator ▁and ▁the ▁living . ▁Honor ▁and ▁prayer ▁were ▁displayed ▁to ▁these ▁" anci ent ▁ones ", ▁the ▁spirit ▁of ▁that ▁past . ▁West ▁Afr icans ▁also ▁believed ▁in ▁spiritual ▁possession . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century , ▁Christian ity ▁began ▁to ▁spread ▁across ▁North ▁Africa ; ▁this ▁shift ▁in ▁religion ▁began ▁disp la cing ▁traditional ▁African