the idea of spirituals normally pertains to the time where African Americans were in slavery. theses spirituals came around due to plantation owners introducing their slaves to the Christian bible. the slaves quickly found the bible verses about how the god of the Israelites from the clutches of slavery in Egypt. the slaves then made songs regarding the Christian religion and sometimes snuck in ways and hints to escape. like wading in the water to break your trail so slave-hunters had a harder time following the runaway slaves and recapturing them.