ually ▁histor ians ▁recognized ▁that ▁in ▁addition ▁to ▁the ▁effects ▁of ▁the ▁owner - s lave ▁relationship , ▁slaves ▁did ▁not ▁live ▁in ▁a ▁" tot ally ▁closed ▁environment ▁but ▁rather ▁in ▁one ▁that ▁permitted ▁the ▁emer gence ▁of ▁enorm ous ▁variety ▁and ▁allowed ▁slaves ▁to ▁purs ue ▁important ▁relationships ▁with ▁persons ▁other ▁than ▁their ▁master , ▁including ▁those ▁to ▁be ▁found ▁in ▁their ▁families , ▁churches ▁and ▁communities ." ▁ ▁Robert ▁W . ▁F og el ▁and ▁Stanley ▁L . ▁Eng erman ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s , ▁through ▁their ▁work ▁Time ▁on ▁the ▁Cross , ▁port rayed ▁slaves ▁as ▁having ▁internal ized ▁the ▁Protest ant ▁work ▁eth ic ▁of ▁their ▁own ers . ▁In ▁port ray ing ▁the ▁more ▁ben ign ▁version ▁of ▁sla very , ▁they ▁also ▁argue ▁in ▁their ▁ 1 9 7 4 ▁book ▁that ▁the ▁material ▁conditions ▁under ▁which ▁the ▁slaves ▁lived ▁and ▁worked ▁compared ▁favor ably ▁to ▁those ▁of ▁free ▁workers ▁in ▁the ▁agricult ure ▁and ▁industry ▁of ▁the ▁time . ▁( This ▁was ▁also ▁an ▁argument ▁of ▁Southern ers ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century .) ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 9 8 0 s , ▁histor ians ▁made ▁use ▁of ▁arch ae ological ▁records , ▁black ▁fol kl ore , ▁and ▁statistical ▁data ▁to ▁describe ▁a ▁much ▁more ▁detailed ▁and ▁nu anced ▁picture ▁of ▁slave ▁life . ▁R ely ing ▁also ▁on ▁ 1 9 th - century ▁aut obi ograph ies ▁of