{"id":2878,"date":"2019-05-30T22:23:28","date_gmt":"2019-05-30T22:23:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/crunchlearning.com\/website_ec2cbfb0\/?p=2878"},"modified":"2026-02-12T09:02:53","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T09:02:53","slug":"slave-codes-in-the-united-states","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/crunchlearning.com\/website_ec2cbfb0\/slave-codes-in-the-united-states\/","title":{"rendered":"Slave Codes in the United States: A Detailed Summary"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Slave Codes were laws that related to slaves and the practise of slavery, especially in the New World.\u00a0 This includes both North America and South America.\u00a0 As such, slave codes were a significant aspect of the history of\u00a0slavery in the United States<\/a>.\u00a0 Millions of African slaves were brought to the New World as part of the\u00a0Atlantic Slave Trade, which occurred from the 16th century until the 19th century.\u00a0 After arriving, these slaves were sold to slave owners who subjected them to chattel slavery, which means they were the personal property of the slave owners.\u00a0 As well, the societies that the slaves found themselves in, established \u2018Slave Codes\u2019 which regulated the lives of the slaves and controlled what they could and could not do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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SLAVE CODES IN COLONIAL AMERICA<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As stated above, Slave Codes were laws that set out rules for slaves in the United States.  In general, the Slave Codes of the early colonies of the United States were adopted from British Slave Codes that had been used throughout other parts of the British Empire.  For example, the first instance of a British Slave Code in the New World was on the Caribbean island of Barbados in 1661.  The Slave Codes used on Barbados were copied and used on another island in the Caribbean \u2013 Jamaica.  The British colony of Jamaica began using Slave Codes in 1664, but they were updated twenty years later in 1684.  These Jamaican Slave Codes proved to the be the model that was first used in the United States.\u200b<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first area to establish a Slave Code was South Carolina, which adopted earlier British policies in 1712.  Other regions of the United States followed South Carolina\u2019s lead.  For instance, in 1770 the colony of Georgia adopted similar Slave Codes to South Carolina.  As well, Florida followed suit and established equally similar Slave Codes.\u200b<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Slaves
Slaves on a tobacco plantation in Virginia from the 17th century.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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EXAMPLES OF SLAVE CODES IN THE UNITED STATES<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In general, the Slave Codes of the time limited the actions that a slave could take.  For example, one such rule was that slaves were not allowed to leave the slave owner\u2019s property unless joined by a white person.  The Slave Codes also had harsh punishments for slaves that tried to escape.  This included whippings, brandings and even the death penalty.  Slaves were also banned from owning weapons and punished if they were found to have stolen items.  In all, the Slave Codes attempted to control the daily life and activities of slaves in the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most common Slave Codes included rules related to the following:\u200b<\/p>\n\n\n\n