Although initially enacted by various states out of fear of slave rebellions, Slave Codes, not only outlined the behavior of Black slaves but also delineated what responsibilities Whites had in regard to slaves; thus were bound by the code. In short, Black and White relationships were codified with “appropriate” punishments.
“Slaves did not accept their fate without protest. Many instances of REBELLION were known to Americans, even in colonial times. These rebellions were not confined to the South. In fact, one of the earliest examples of a slave UPRISING was in 1712 in Manhattan. As African Americans in the colonies grew greater and greater in number, there was a justifiable paranoia on the part of the white settlers that a violent rebellion could occur in one’s own neighborhood. It was this fear of rebellion that led each colony to pass a series of laws restricting slaves’ behaviors. The laws were known as SLAVE CODES.”
“Although each colony had differing ideas about the rights of slaves, there were some common threads in slave codes across areas where slavery was common. Legally considered property, slaves were not allowed to own property of their own. They were not allowed to assemble without the presence of a white person. Slaves that lived off the plantation were subject to special curfews.
In the courts, a slave accused of any crime against a white person was doomed.” Continue @UsHistory.org
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