Slave Codes In American Culture

In contrast to the other three colonies discussed, the institution of slavery in South Carolina was initiated, legalized, and maintained for distinct reasons; the founders of the colony felt that slavery was absolutely necessary for economic prosperity and their unwavering urge to protect the institution at all costs contributed towards the severity of the slave-enforcement acts and codes. By looking at the legislation passed in South Carolina, one can grasp the extent to which slaves were legally stripped of every right imaginable, suffered barbarous treatment, and were attempted to be rendered psychologically and physically powerless--all because of the deep-seated fear of the enslaved population that was instilled within white slave owners and law-makers. In South Carolina, slavery was a horrendous business that was never questioned ethically or legally. The white settlers coming from Barbados--who had already been involved in the slave trade for years--migrated to South Carolina equipped with slaves already accustomed to difficult climate conditions (similar to South Carolina), which made them more pleasurable to slave owners expecting a strong work force. Another unique aspect to South Carolina was the overwhelming black majority in the colony for it is true that, “by 1708, less than twenty years after the decision to move from white indentured labor to black slave labor, the number of blacks in the colony exceeded whites,” (Higginbotham, 1978, pg. 152). Due to the

But life in North America for Africans would see a dramatic shift as the laws and rules progressed. Slave codes were laws that basically took away all rights of Africans living in North America. This would serve as a permanent handicap for Africans for almost two centuries. Then the colonist took a dramatic horrible step used in the states as well as the colonies. Dehumanizing. This would be the greatest contributor of racism in the United States. This Law passed in Virginia in 1705, would allow English Colonist to treat Africans as property, disregard their feelings or wellbeing, and deny them of basic human rights. And these practices would carry over well into the 20th century.

Middle Colonies had codes that advanced slave industry which denied African slaves from basic rights. There were laws particularly for African Americans for instance, in New York, slaves couldn't show up in the city after dark without a lit light. Larger

In this assignment I will be taking a further look into the history of slavery. When thinking of slavery the immediate thought that comes to mind is all the negative aspects of the system. Prior to this research, I was unaware of slave systems that were not based on the long labor hours and the torture of slaves. Granted, there were still forms of slavery that practiced these brutal rituals, where slaves were treated as animals and were malnourished. One prime example of this, is the book titled “Am I Not A Woman And A Sister”, looks at the history of a Bermudan slave named Mary Prince. Another example of slavery that will be incorporated in this paper will come from a source about a woman slave named Semsigul, born in Caucasus an area that

The slave trade in the North American colonies began to grow in the 1600s. The African slave trade sourced their slaves from many different West African villages and countries. The business of slavery was a growing and profitable field, not only for the slavers, but also for the slaveholders. With the decrease of indentured servants, settlers in the English colonies looked for a new source of labor to satisfy their growing labor demands. The next source was Africa. “By the 1690s slaves outnumbered indentured servants four to one” (45). Europeans largely disregarded the ethical dilemma posed by slavery due to the European view of Africans and their culture as uncivilized, foreign, and heathen (44). The largest forced migration in history (44)

The cause for this shift in social policy cannot be accurately traced through the events of the 17th century, but several clues to this alteration in slave treatment can be found. It is often presumed that racism led to the inevitable slavery acts in the 18th century, but this rationale is rather unfounded based on the idea that many African-Americans were in fact free and maintained their own farms in Virginia. The cause of slavery is much more subtle than a prejudice view of racial differences.

According to the text Give Me Liberty, the government passed laws that prevent blacks from gaining basics right such as “... limited access to the courts ... denied them the rights to testify against whites, to serve on juries or in state militias, or to vote” (570). However, The Mississippi Black Code demonstrate how black codes also enforce segregation, “...it shall not be lawful for any freedman, free negro, or mulatto to intermarry with any white person; nor for any white person to intermarry with any freedman, free negro, or mulatto…”(VOICE OF FREEDOM 8). These are two primary example of why black codes were established. White southern had to determine how to coexist with free slaves and black codes would ensure control over the black labor by constructing unjust laws due to the abolishment of slavery. During this time period the ownership of land and control of labor was important in the South and there were debates about the terms of slavery such as the issue of land, control of labor, and political power. Southern planters strongly believe that freedom of former slave would mean the “absence of

On the plantations, slave labor was the primary source of workers. These slaves were brought to the colonies by ship, once they arrived they were sold at auctions. The slave auctions had just men, just women, just children or whole families up for bid. Southern plantations were predominantly black, male slaves. At one point it was believed to be seven male slaves to every one female. The slaves were purchased and then became the property of the

The system of institutionalized slavery in the Virginia and South Carolina colonies is the marker point in history of the fearsome dissemination of racial and class stratification. Through the events and laws leading up to the 1760s, Virginia and South Carolina pave the way towards formation of our modern day concepts of "race" and "class". Daniel Noel, creator of the Noel hypothesis, identified the inevitability of racial stratification given that three requirements: ethnocentrism, competition, and a difference in power. The enslavement of Africans during the 1600-1700 's is a prime example of what happens when all three requirements are fulfilled.

Civil Rights, labor contracts, vagrancy, apprenticeship, courts, crimes, and punishments are policies that the government implement in attempt to uplift southern blacks. These rules bore a remarkable similarity to the antebellum slave codes. Restrictions Under presidential reconstruction, southern states recognized new constitutions and governments, which immediately determined to control the freedom of black through the way of laws called black codes. A reconstruction of Southern society to contain African Americans equally. There were some policies that were most successful in that it restored the United States as a unified nation. In 1877, a former confederate states had drafted new constitutions. For the most part, the North was an industrial

Black Codes: were passed by the south, they were made to limit the freedom of blacks so they would not be considered slaves however they were still treated like slaves due to the amount of restrictions made by these laws. If they quit before their contracts ended they would be subject to penalty and punishments. Black codes also restricted many of their civil rights not allowing them to be equal in the eyes of the government such as interracial marriages or being allowed to serve on a jury. These codes ultimately invalidated their freedom from slavery.

Throughout history, African Americans both free and enslaved were not treated equally nor permitted with the same rights as white men. African Americans were enslaved and not allowed to vote or hold public office. Since the 15th century, African Americans have been treated less than human, some even experienced brutal punished for justifiable mistakes. The use of African American slave labor was an enormous contribution to agriculture and labor. It became a part of southern state’s economy within America. Additionally, African Americans were forced or born into slavery where they endured harsh working conditions with zero pay and often times were punished by their masters. Even slaves that became emancipated or paid for their freedom were also treated differently than whites. Notably, blacks did not have the same privileges as whites and were forced to carry a “freedom card” wherever they went. Failing to do so would lead to severe consequences, such as being forced back into slavery. Once African Americans were considered free, they faced additional discriminations such as not being able to vote or serve as a figure in public office. Due to this and additional factors, African Americans were almost entirely incapable of defending themselves against whites. Since the start of the 17th century, African Americans, free and enslaved were punished for their skin color and were considered the lowest scale by not being allowed to the same opportunities and rights and white men.

Former slaves were denied equality. At the beginning of Reconstruction, it appeared that former slaves were going to face the exact same hardships of slavery, but under a different name. Andrew Johnson wanted the South back, and allowed them to without a definite plan on what to do with the 4.5 million former slaves. Due to this, the South was free to “recreate” slavery by reinforcing the “Black Codes” which were nearly the same as the “Slave Codes.” Black people were not allowed to have weapons, vote, or marry outside of their race. Black people were “free” but they were put in a position in which they were still forced to work on plantations via labor contracts and sharecropping. This made it impossible for black people to gain any amount

Slavery had also been present in New York from the earliest days of Dutch settlement. As their role expanded so did slavery in the city, 30 percent of its laborers were slaves. Most came from different cultures, spoke different languages, and practiced many regions. Slavery allowed different individuals who would never otherwise have encountered, their bond was not kinship, language, or even race, but the impressment of slavery. They eventually came together an created a cohesive culture and community that took many years, and it processed at different rates of speed in different regions.

Although slavery and segregation laws are obsolete, racial inequality remains visible within our society. Throughout the course readings, one thing is for sure: the slave trade is the primary cause of racial inequality from 1500 to the present. Those sold into slavery become the property and a product of violence. Moreover, throughout the 15th to mid-18th centuries, slavery caused people to despise those who looked different from them, based on skin color. Slavery has caused numerous gaps among the privileged white community and minorities who have a history of slavery. This created a divided society based on skin color, with effects that continue to be a small part of our contemporary world.