slavery

1 . Was there any set pattern to or understanding of slavery in Virginia during this period

The answer is no . Any man , woman or child , whether Black , White or Indian , could be considered a slave based on any number of things . Their owners were property owners , who not only held their indenture s but influenced the laws that decided their rights , or lack of rights The Carib Indians detailed in the first case are a good example of this As Indians who were imported into the colony (presumably as slaves and against

their will , they were seen as disposable . Gender seemed to make a difference only in that as a female slave , all of her progeny and that of successive generations were also considered slaves and could never be free (per the case of Whittington and Act XII

2 . Did the legal definition of slavery follow actual practice ? Or was the reverse true : that practice followed the established law

The legal definition of slavery seemed to follow actual practice and changed as the court systems saw fit . For instance , in the case of John Graweere , he was allowed to purchase freedom ' for his child but Act XII declared that a woman 's child could not never be free . The slave was a possession and the laws of possession changed to meet the demands of the landowners . Act I regarding the casual killing of slaves seems to have been enacted simply to allow the slave owner free reign in punishing , or killing , his property

3 . What do the laws tell you about the key elements of slavery as it was practiced in 17th century Virginia ? What made someone a slave and what did this condition entail

For the most part , people became slaves due to the perpetration of some crime which resulted in a sentence of indenture to an owner . The remainder of the slaves were purchased from ships who carried the slaves in cargo holds across the ocean . In the first instance , a slave could work off his indenture and the last case regarding Andrew Moore shows this possibility . In the case of William Whittington , the slave he purchased was later sold along with all of her heirs . While being considered a slave , the person was literally a piece of property with no rights and little protection under the law . He was unable to own anything of his own and could only , in rare cases , share in the profits of the landowners if he was savvy enough to strike such a deal . Even slaves who were baptized as Christians saw no relief from their place in life

4 . Can you detect a pattern in the understanding of race as an element of slavery

Clearly any race was subject to slavery although the slave 's rights and decrees of punishment were different depending on the color of his skin In the case of John Punch and the two white slaves who escaped with him the Black man Punch received much a...