Punishment In Chesapeake Colonies

In conjunction to the treatment received by the slaves, distinction in terms of the strictness of law can also be identified in Chesapeake Colonies and the Northern Colonies. In Chesapeake Colonies, free black men did not have authorities in enslaving white servants and in owning any kind of guns or arms. They were harshly exploited when the slaves had to pay for ”special taxes” to the states in order to survive in the colonies. If the African people hit any white individual, they had to receive punishments despite of the reasons. Freed slaves were required to be transported out of the colony according to Virginia Laws. So, in 1750, the number of freed black people stayed small, which was “less than 4 percent” (Foner 137). However, that was
not the case in Northern colonies; laws that had been implemented on their institution of slavery were lenient. This argument can be proven through several aspects; such as the slave marriages had gained approval from the state’s law. Acute physical punishment by the owner was also forbidden in the institution of slavery. The slaves could propose lawsuit to the court as well as having the right to attest against the whites. Besides, they could possess a property and it can be inherited through their generations. Long story short, most of the slave’s rights that were not recognized in the South happened totally opposite in the Northern Colonies (Foner 139).