In the period of captivity that began with the arrival of the first cargo of Africans in Jamestown, Virginia in 1619 and continued until 1865 (when legalized slavery ended with the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation), spirituals gradually evolved to serve a variety of purposes in the fight for freedom. These purposes included: 1) singing as an expression of democratic values and community solidarity; 2) singing as a source of inspiration and motivation; 3) singing as an expression of protest; and 4) singing as coded communication. Of course, many songs served multiple functions in different times and places. However, it is instructive to examine a few examples of songs that can be understood – at least at one level – as illustrative of each of the four categories.