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Back to Subjects - American History

slave codes

slave codes In the mid-1600's, the colonies began to pass laws called slave codes which were intended to control the daily lives of slaves. These codes prohibited slaves from owning weapons, getting an education, meeting with other blacks without their owner's permission, and testifying against any white person in court. Slaves also received harsher punishments for many crimes than white people who committed the same crime. In my opinion, these codes were unnecessary considering the number of revolts that occurred in the Western Hemisphere. It all began in 1705, when the Virginia General Assembly made a declaration that would seal the fate of African Americans for generations to come. "All servants imported and brought into the Country...who were not Christians in their native Country...shall be accounted and be slaves. All Negro, mulatto and Indian slaves within this dominion...shall be held to be real estate. If any slave resist his master...correcting such slave, and shall happen to be killed in such correction...the master shall be free of all punishment...as if such accident never happened." Virginia codes served as a model for other colonies. The law imposed harsh physical punishments for slaves who did not comply with these codes, since enslaved persons who did not own property could not be required to pay fines. Although these codes varied from state to state, overall the codes covered the following aspects: · Slaves needed written permission to leave their plantation. · Slaves found guilty of murder or rape were to be hanged. · Slaves could not assemble unless accompanied by a white person. · For robbing or any other major offence, the slave would receive sixty lashes and be placed in stocks, where his or her ears would be cut off. · For minor offences, such as associating with whites, slaves would be whipped, branded, or maimed. · Teaching a slave to read or write was against the law. · Before the Civil War ended, State "Slave Codes" also prohibited slaves from owning guns. White slave owners implemented these codes out of the fear of a slave revolt. In my opinion, such behavior-controlling laws were unnecessary. After all, the psychological imprisonment had a great impact on the outlook of the slaves. From the very first slaves that were brought from Africa, they have been systematically dehumanized and made to feel worthless. As a result, slaves learned to be completely dependent on their slave owners for survival and, thus, the slave owner was able to dictate virtually every aspect of the slaves' lives. The psychological impact of such brainwashing made the slaves feel helpless to end their enslavement. "There was no communication between master and slave on any strictly human level, but only the relation one might have to a piece of property - if you twist the knob on your radio you expect it to play," writes the author. Bibliography:

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