Enslaved men, marginalized by their race and class, sought to reclaim their masculinity and fashion a gendered identity within the slave community. Most commonly examined by historians, ex-slaves acted violently, physically engaging either their masters or their peers. While violence constituted a way in which men could reassert their manhood, they also chose other ways to do so, often providing food and materials for their families and rescuing their families from bondage. Select published ex-slave narratives reveal that enslaved men chose both violence and restraint to create a gendered identity, evidencing the fluidity of masculinity within the slave quarters.