The Conditions and Treatment of Africans and Their Descendants in Colonial Virginia Between 1629 and 1705

From 1629 to 1705, the conditions and treatment of Africans and their descendants in colonial Virginia were harsh and brutal. Africans were brought to Virginia as slaves to work on plantations and in other industries. They were treated as property and had no legal rights.

The following five Virginia statutes from the seventeenth century illustrate how race determined the relationship between English and Africans during this time period:

• ACT IX: An act distinguishing between the work of English and African women (October 1629)

This act required English women to work four hours per day, while African women were required to work twelve hours per day. This shows that Africans were seen as inferior to English people and were expected to work harder.

• ACT X: An act creating a legal distinction between white and black men (January 1639/40)

This act declared that black men were not considered to be freemen, even if they were born in Virginia. This meant that black men could not own property or vote.

• ACT XII: An act applying the status of the mother on children (December 1662)

This act declared that the children of a slave mother would also be slaves, regardless of the race of the father. This ensured that the slave population would continue to grow.

• ACT III: An act declaring that baptism did not alter the status of slaves (September 1667)

This act declared that even if a slave was baptized, they would still remain a slave. This shows that African people were seen as inferior to English people, even if they had converted to Christianity.

• ACT I: An act legalizing the punishment and killing of slaves (October 1669)

This act legalized the punishment and killing of slaves for a variety of offenses, including running away and disobedience. This shows that slaves were treated as property and had no legal rights.

These five statutes illustrate the harsh and brutal conditions that Africans and their descendants faced in colonial Virginia. African people were seen as inferior to English people and were treated as property. They had no legal rights and could be punished or killed for even minor offenses.

In addition to the statutes listed above, there are a number of other primary sources that document the conditions and treatment of Africans and their descendants in colonial Virginia. These sources include diaries, letters, and court records.

One diary entry from 1670 describes a slave owner who whipped a slave woman to death. Another diary entry from 1680 describes a slave owner who killed a slave man for running away.

A letter from a slave owner to his agent in England in 1691 describes the conditions on his plantation. The slave owner writes that his slaves work from sunrise to sunset and that they are often punished for minor offenses.

A court record from 1705 documents the trial of a slave man who was accused of killing a white man. The slave man was found guilty and sentenced to death.

These primary sources provide a glimpse into the harsh and brutal conditions that Africans and their descendants faced in colonial Virginia. African people were seen as inferior to English people and were treated as property. They had no legal rights and could be punished or killed for even minor offenses.

The conditions and treatment of Africans and their descendants in colonial Virginia were a direct result of the institution of slavery. Slavery was a system of racial oppression that denied African people their basic human rights. Slavery was a moral injustice and a stain on the history of Virginia.