Which method was NOT used by slaveholders to assimilate Africans into American society?

The option indicating that slaveholders forced the church to retain African traditions is correct because slaveholders typically aimed to strip enslaved individuals of their cultural identities and traditions, rather than support or preserve them. Instead, they encouraged the adoption of European customs and beliefs, including Christianity, as a means of control and assimilation. By imposing European religious practices and customs, slaveholders sought to create a more uniform society that aligned with their own cultural values.

The other methods mentioned were indeed part of assimilation efforts. Providing educational opportunities, albeit limited and often superficial, was sometimes introduced to increase the productivity and compliance of enslaved Africans. Encouraging the adoption of European customs was a common practice to facilitate assimilation into the dominant culture. Creating economic tasks that mimicked European labor was also a strategy used to integrate enslaved people into the colonial economy, reinforcing European labor norms and practices. Thus, the idea of retaining African traditions in religious practices does not align with the overall objectives of slaveholders during that period.