How Did Colonial Assembly Change The Laws Of Servitude In Virginia
The colonial assembly in Virginia gradually changed their laws regarding servitude over the course of about sixty years. Beginning in 1643 their laws of servitude dealt entirely with indentured servants with no mention of race at all. This is likely because these laws were in reference to white servants. In March 1661 the assembly mentions “negroes” in reference to them running away with a white servant. Surprisingly, since blacks were already slaves for life, the white servant would “serve for the time of the said negroes absence.” By 1672 if a slave ran away and resisted their recapture then it was “lawfull for any person who shall endeavor to take them…to kill or wound him or them.” In 1680 the assembly decided they could no longer
have blacks walking around town without proof that their masters were aware of their whereabouts. If they were caught without a “certificate” they received “twenty lashes on [their] bare back well layd on.” They received twenty lashes for simply walking off of their master’s plantation, not trying to run away, just walking perhaps to the store. In 1705 the assembly states that if a slave stays out “it shall be lawful…to kill and destroy such slaves” with no repercussions. If they ran away they could be dismembered to scare other slaves.
There is an obvious change in Virginia’s servitude and slavery laws over the later part of the 17th century. The laws change from only referencing indentured servitude and a white servant taking the punishment for their black accomplice to blacks receiving death and dismemberment for running away and disfigurement for walking the streets without the proper papers. The increasingly harsh laws regarding black slaves replaced those more lenient laws for white indentured servants from earlier in the century. In 1643 the status of black slaves and white indentured servants seems to have been on a similar plane; they received similar punishments. However, over the course of the remainder of the century the status of black slaves sank to something less than human, while white servants stayed the same or perhaps moved up in status since they existed above black slaves now.
have blacks walking around town without proof that their masters were aware of their whereabouts. If they were caught without a “certificate” they received “twenty lashes on [their] bare back well layd on.” They received twenty lashes for simply walking off of their master’s plantation, not trying to run away, just walking perhaps to the store. In 1705 the assembly states that if a slave stays out “it shall be lawful…to kill and destroy such slaves” with no repercussions. If they ran away they could be dismembered to scare other slaves.
There is an obvious change in Virginia’s servitude and slavery laws over the later part of the 17th century. The laws change from only referencing indentured servitude and a white servant taking the punishment for their black accomplice to blacks receiving death and dismemberment for running away and disfigurement for walking the streets without the proper papers. The increasingly harsh laws regarding black slaves replaced those more lenient laws for white indentured servants from earlier in the century. In 1643 the status of black slaves and white indentured servants seems to have been on a similar plane; they received similar punishments. However, over the course of the remainder of the century the status of black slaves sank to something less than human, while white servants stayed the same or perhaps moved up in status since they existed above black slaves now.