Doyle,

Rarely did slave revolts in the South involve many people (or were very successful) for a number of reasons. Organizing large-scale upheavals was logistically very difficult for slaves who often had limited reading and writing skills, had a hard time coordinating action beyond their own immediate area, and could plan something complex without being discovered or betrayed. Whites generally did not mess around with suspected conspirators, and, as McKibben gives examples of, often hanged slaves implicated in plots to revolt. Such swift response not only quashed attempts to rise up, but likely intimidated other slaves from planning revolts.

Many slaves rebelled in other forms, such as running away (often only temporarily), breaking equipment, resisting orders, taking property, or even fighting back with force individually. In areas of the Deep South, running away to freedom was highly unlikely, so slaves would sometimes hide for a time only to return when they were ready. It became common enough that some white masters did not worry when particular slaves disappeared for a time---especially after punishment.

Yet, during the Civil War this changed quite a bit, as Union armies coming South seemed to offer a chance at freedom. Thousands of slaves ran into federal lines or tried to follow federal armies. Others enjoyed taking over their (former) masters' homes and property when whites evacuated areas endangered by campaigning Union armies.