Colonial Practices and Laws
- Primogeniture and Entail: Virginia established large estates through primogeniture (inheritance by the oldest son) and entail (a legal mechanism preventing the breakup of large estates).
- Tobacco Economy: Tobacco dominated Virginia’s economy, with gang systems used to control the labor force.
- Slave Codes: A set of laws designed to protect the interests of enslavers, including:
- Children born to enslaved women were also enslaved.
- Religious conversion did not result in freedom for enslaved people.
- Enslaved individuals had to be transported out of the colony to gain freedom.
- Enslavers could not be prosecuted for murdering enslaved people.
- Any Black Virginian striking a White Virginian faced whipping.
Regional Variations
- Georgia: Initially banned slavery but soon legalized it.
- South Carolina: Established as a slave colony from the beginning, with slavery being legalized from the start.
- Caribbean Influence: Caribbean settlers brought their harsh slave codes with them.
Economic and Social Aspects
- Rice Cultivation in Carolina: Enslaved people had some autonomy due to rice being a staple crop. Many elites avoided malaria by living in cities, where enslaved individuals had immunity.
- Task System: Utilized in many plantations, requiring enslaved individuals to complete specific tasks, after which they could engage in gardening or other activities in allotted plots.
- Underground Markets: Provided some degree of economic autonomy for enslaved people.
- African Cultural Retention: African languages and traditional practices remained prominent among the enslaved population.
Rebellions and Resistance
- Stono Rebellion (September 1739): Enslaved people attempted to escape to a free Black settlement in Florida, burning plantations and killing settlers. The rebellion was ultimately crushed by the militia.
Slavery in Other Colonies
- New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania: Slavery was significant for farming cereal grains.
- Diversity and Rebellion in the North: High European diversity and a large population of enslaved individuals contributed to rebellion, with poor White and enslaved African people sometimes rebelling together.
- Quaker Opposition: Quakers, adhering to nonviolence, turned against slavery and expelled members with associations to it.
- New England: Slavery did not become widespread due to the absence of cash crops.
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