Slave Codes In Colonial America
The slave codes that were implemented in colonial America changed history for many people and affected the descendants of those people even today. These slave codes stripped slaves of their basic rights, influenced today's laws, and even after it ended, affected their progress and status in society.
Slavery and the slave codes stripped slaves of even the most basic of rights. A New York slave code from 1697 stated “No persons of African descent may be buried in the city’s church graveyard.” The revocation of the right to a proper religious burial for all Africans, not just slaves, is a violation of a basic human right. Another example of a violation of human rights is the act of slave breeding. Slave breeding, as defined by abolitionists of …show more content…
The 13th amendment disallowed slavery or involuntary servitude except as a punishment for a crime. This then became the basis for the modern-day prison system where incarcerated persons are forced to do labor, similarly to slavery. The ‘Black Codes’, laws that restricted the rights of African Americans, that were enacted after the Civil War, were also influenced by the slave codes. The National Constitution Center states that black codes were “a series of laws passed throughout the South in the wake of emancipation”. Although often professing to respect the equality and civil rights of the newly emancipated, in reality most of the Black Codes were specifically designed to curtail the economic, political, and social freedom of African Americans and, through a combination of private and public efforts, restore much of the slave system that had existed prior to the war.” One example of a black code that attempts to create a version of slavery is a South Carolina Black Code from 1865 that states “All persons of color who make contracts for service or labor, shall be known as servants, and those with a whom they contract, shall be known as masters.” (Constitution Center, n.d.) The terminology of Master and Servant is almost exactly like the terminology used during slavery; that of Master and Slave. The goal of this Black Code is to make sure that Blacks are still viewed
Slavery and the slave codes stripped slaves of even the most basic of rights. A New York slave code from 1697 stated “No persons of African descent may be buried in the city’s church graveyard.” The revocation of the right to a proper religious burial for all Africans, not just slaves, is a violation of a basic human right. Another example of a violation of human rights is the act of slave breeding. Slave breeding, as defined by abolitionists of …show more content…
The 13th amendment disallowed slavery or involuntary servitude except as a punishment for a crime. This then became the basis for the modern-day prison system where incarcerated persons are forced to do labor, similarly to slavery. The ‘Black Codes’, laws that restricted the rights of African Americans, that were enacted after the Civil War, were also influenced by the slave codes. The National Constitution Center states that black codes were “a series of laws passed throughout the South in the wake of emancipation”. Although often professing to respect the equality and civil rights of the newly emancipated, in reality most of the Black Codes were specifically designed to curtail the economic, political, and social freedom of African Americans and, through a combination of private and public efforts, restore much of the slave system that had existed prior to the war.” One example of a black code that attempts to create a version of slavery is a South Carolina Black Code from 1865 that states “All persons of color who make contracts for service or labor, shall be known as servants, and those with a whom they contract, shall be known as masters.” (Constitution Center, n.d.) The terminology of Master and Servant is almost exactly like the terminology used during slavery; that of Master and Slave. The goal of this Black Code is to make sure that Blacks are still viewed