Slavery in the 18th century was the worst for African Americans. Slave observers suggested that slave characteristics such as: clumsiness, disorderliness, smallness, destructiveness, and inability to learn were "better" than whites. Despite white society's belief that slaves were nothing more than workers when in reality they were part of an elaborate and well-defined social structure that gave them identity and supported them in their silent protest. In their neighborhoods, slaves expressed themselves with some freedom from white slave owners. Religion provided a similar feeling of freedom and also gave mental support to slaves. By attending church, slaves created a Christianity that emphasized salvation for every race, including slaves. To avoid overwork, slaves tried to work at their own pace and resist acceleration. Some of the techniques used to prevent work included faking illness or pregnancy, breaking or losing tools, or feigning ignorance. Unless slaves lived near free territory or near a city where they could mix with the free black population, they knew that permanent escape was unlikely. Only rarely did a large group of slaves attempt a mass escape and maintain independent freedom for long periods of time. On numerous occasions groups of runaway slaves attacked white slave patrollers or attempted to bribe them. When the slaves became desperate enough, they openly resisted their masters. Numerous examples show how slaves refused to accept punishment and fought with their white masters who tried to punish them. Slave resistance was rarely successful because most masters did not tolerate it. It was dangerous for slaves to physically or verbally resist a white man. Slave masters constantly tried to erase African culture from the memories of their slaves. They insisted that slavery had saved blacks from African barbarians and introduced them to “superior” white civilization. Some slaves came to believe this propaganda, but the continued influence of African culture in the slave community added to slave resistance to the modification of African culture. Some slaves, for example, responded to their English names in the camps but used African names in their quarters. The lives of slaves were filled with surviving traits of African culture, and their artwork, music, and other differences reflected this influence. Slaves also injured themselves to avoid work, punishment, or sale. They cut off their fingers, hands, toes, or toes, and disfigure their bodies in various other ways to become the property of less valuable slaves.