Slavery In 17th Century America

“Slavery, historically, an institution based on a relationship of dominance and submission, whereby one person owns another and can exact from that person labor or other services. Slavery has been found among many groups of low material culture, as in the Malay Peninsula and among some Native Americans; it also has occurred in more highly developed societies, such as the southern United States.” (Columbia 2015). During the beginning of 17th century America, families migrating to the “New World”, set up societies, in which families laid down their roots and had a new place to call home. In the eyes of the settlers, the abundance of land in America was for the taking, regardless of the native inhabitants. The setup of society meant an economy

“March 1660/1-ACT XXII. English running away with negroes.-Bee it enacted That in case any English servant shall run away in company with any negroes who are incapable of making satisfaction by addition of time, Bee it enacted that the English so running away in company with them shall serve for the time of the said negroes absence as they are to do for their owne by a former act.””October 1669-ACT I. An act about the casuall killing of slaves.[Colonial leaders decided that corporal punishment was the only way in which a master could correct a slave since his or her time of service could not be extended. This law represents the loss of legal protection for a slave's life in Virginia. It also was the first of several laws passed during the last thirty years of the seventeenth century that reduced the personal rights of black men and women.]WHEREAS the only law in force for the punishment of refractory servants resisting their master, mistris or overseer cannot be inflicted upon negroes, nor the obstinacy of many of them by other then violent meanes supprest, Be it enacted and declared by this grand assembly, if any slave resist his master (or other by his masters order correcting him) and by the extremity of the correction should chance to die, that his death shall not be accompted felony, but the master (or that other person appointed

If societies are ignorant to their past, they won’t be able to understand why certain things are happening. The abolition of slavery demonstrates how the unity of people can influence change, and affect the world. If activist didn’t fight for change in the 19th century, its possible slavery would alive and thriving in America, or segregation in the 60s. With technological advances in modern society, we have become lazy, and we no longer fight for what we believe in. Knowledge and unity is