An example of Active resistance: Gabriel Prosser

Gabriel Prosser was a slave who attempted to lead a revolt. he was tall for his age of 25, he was six feet two inches. His saying was give me liberty or give me death, which he wrote upon a silk flag. This conspiracy was well-formed by the spring of 1800. Swords, bayonets, and over 500 bullets were made by the slaves for this revolt. On the day of the attack the plot was disclosed by two slaves who did not want their masters slain; then Virginia governor James Monroe alerted the militia. That night, as the rebels began congregating outside Richmond, the worst rainstorm in memory flooded roads, washed out bridges, and prevented Prosser's army from assembling. Prosser decided to postpone the attack until the next day, but by then the city was too well defended, because someone in his army told the slave master about the revolt. And because of this, Prosser and all of his comrades where captured and executed. They were hung over a cliff but the rope was not tight enough to kill them instantly, so it just strangled them, so then an officer rode down the line of hanging men and shot each one in the head killing them. http://chss.montclair.edu/english/furr/spl/gabrielrevolt.html