Slavery in America (1600-1800)
1619: First Africans arrived in America
- near Jamestown, Virginia
- -later became indentured servants
Indentured Servants arrived in Virginia
- bound to service for a period of seven years, then they would legally become free
- about 75% immigrants from England
- -nearly 2/3 settlers from the Old world came as indentured servants
- -high death rate
- only some achieved freedom and became property owner
- low demands for indentured servants until the adoption of stable crops e.g. tobacco and sugarcane
1640: John Punch, a black servant was sentenced by the Virginia court to slavery for attempting to escape
1661: Slaves codes
- Defined the legal status of slaves and the rights of the masters
- Typically strict and exacted severe punishments for the offenders
1705: Virginia Slave Code
- Slave: from those countries that were not Christians+ Native American who were sold
- Established the basic for legal enslavement for any non-Christian foreigner
1735: Georgia passed a law to prohibit slavery
- To eliminate the risk of slaves rebellion
- To turn some of England's poor into hardworking small farmers.
1774: Rhode Island forbade the import of slaves
1775: Lord Dunmore Proclamation
- promised freedom for any slaves of American patriots who would leave their masters and join the royal force
1786: all colonies had banned or limit the African slave trade except Georgia
1787: Northwest Ordinance
-slavery was prohibited in the territories northwest of the Ohio River
1796: Georgia limited the African slave trade