As the system of slavery expanded in the American colonies, governments created laws called slave codes to control the lives of enslaved people. These laws were written by colonial leaders and enslavers to protect their power and limit the rights and freedoms of the people they enslaved. Slave codes were passed in nearly every colony, especially in the South, and became more strict over time.

Slave codes made it clear that enslaved people were legally considered property. They were not treated as citizens or given basic rights. In Virginia, a 1705 law stated that all enslaved people would be considered personal property, just like land or tools. This meant enslavers could sell them, trade them, or punish them without legal limits.

Slave codes controlled many parts of daily life. In South Carolina, enslaved people could not leave their plantation without a written pass. In Georgia, they were not allowed to work for pay or learn to read or write. In many colonies, enslaved people could not gather in groups, even for church, unless a white person was present. If an enslaved person broke one of these laws, they could be whipped, jailed, or even killed—often without any legal consequences for the enslaver.

These laws were based entirely on race. In 1662, Virginia passed a law saying that a child’s status—free or enslaved—would follow the status of the mother. This meant children born to enslaved women were automatically enslaved, even if their father was free. Over time, colonial governments passed laws that separated people by race and made it nearly impossible for African-descended people to live freely, even if they had never been enslaved.

Slave codes helped protect the system of slavery and the wealth of white landowners. In colonies like South Carolina, where enslaved people made up the majority of the population, laws were designed to prevent rebellion. The South Carolina Slave Code of 1740 made it illegal for enslaved people to raise their own food, earn money, or wear nicer clothing—measures that kept them dependent and easily identified.

Even under these harsh laws, enslaved people found ways to resist. Some ran away to try to find freedom in the North or in Spanish Florida. Others resisted by working slowly, breaking tools, or keeping their cultural traditions alive in secret. Their resistance showed strength, courage, and a refusal to fully accept the system that tried to control them.

Slave codes are an example of how laws can be used to support unfair treatment. These laws gave legal power to one group and took away the rights of another. Understanding the purpose and impact of slave codes helps us see how discrimination was built into the legal systems of the colonies—and why it’s important to protect fairness and equality under the law today.

Source: Slave Codes in the Colonies
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