Essay On Virginia Slave Codes

Following the turn of the 17th century into the 18th, there was a sharp increase in the number of slaves that came to America. The increase, caused by increase in the number of large scale plantations, led to the development of slave codes in Colonial America, with the first being established in 1705. The slave codes were developed with intent to increase white dominance over the African race, as well as make slavery a permanent, well defined, condition in which a slave was property of its master. The first comprehensive slave codes to be passed led to the slow tarnishing of blacks’ reputations in America. To elaborate, both the Virginia and South Carolina slave codes specifically targeted blacks while promoting the dominance of whites. For example, in the Virginia slave code blacks and other races were not allowed to own slaves unless they were of their own complexion (Virginia

For example, the Virginia slave codes state that the status of a child will be determined by the status of their mother (Virginia Slave Codes). As a result of this, many slave owners would abuse their slaves sexually in order to gain more slaves oppose to buying more. In addition to this, the slave codes helped solidify the condition of slavery on slaves through laws that only gave freed slaves 6 months to leave the state of South Carolina or else they would once again face enslavement (South Carolina Slave Codes). Moreover, the codes of South Carolina and Virginia also attempted to solidify the position of slaves by clearly laying out the consequences for slaves that ran away likely as a means of intimidation. In brief, the slave codes that there were created in places such as South Carolina and Virginia also came with intent of better defining slavery, as well as the goal to prohibit slaves from being