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Lives of Anthony Johnson and Other Africans
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Intro to Anthony Johnson (Part 1)
Anthony Johnson, originally Antonio, arrived in Virginia as a slave. He eventually became a Christian, taking the name Anthony. In Virginia, it was very easy to recognize the religious and cultural boundries established there. Skin color was did not as big of a factor during the start of English slavery. In fact, most of the slaves taken to the colonies were not originally slaves for life, but indentured servants, because Christians were not, in that time, allowed to serve for life. After -
Intro to Anthony (Part 2)
Anthony made it to Jamestown, he was bought by an Englishman, and started working, eventually marrying the slave Mary, and having four children. Anthony managed to buy their freedom, and they chose the last name Johnson for themselves. Anthony aquired some land, raised cattle, and even had two black servent of his own. Sadly, through English laws, Anthony's decendants could not accomplish as much as he did. -
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Diminishing Progress of Africans
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Progress of Anthony Johnson
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(Part 2) Anthony Acquires Land
to and play when he wants to. -
(Part 1) Anthony Acquires Land
Captain Taylor, an Engligh land owner, was seen dividing his corn field with Anthony Johnson, a negro. This is important because in that time, most Africans probably would not be given land, especially by an Englishman. This also makes Anthony a land owner and a establishes him as a free African, which is important because he is now allowed to do what he wants to, and he is no longer under the power of an English master. Anthony says that he is content with this and will now work when he wants -
(Part 2) Anthony Goes to Court
had more power that Africans, yet Anthony still won his court case against them. -
(Part 1) Anthony Goes to Court
Anthony Johnson went to count to win back his indentured servant, John Caser. Anthony claimed that Caser was a slave for life and the servant belonged to him, but Caser said that he was only an indentured servant and wanted his freedom. Anthony won, and got his slave back. This is important because Anthony, an African, managed to go to court and win against an Englishman. In that time, Africans were not truly discriminated against yet, but Englishmen were still higher up the social ladder, and -
(Part 1) Christian Slave Law
The Christian slave law states that no freed African or Indian may purchase a Christian slave. This law is very important, because the English are now trying to take control of what the freed Africans can buy. Most of the slaves are also already Christians, because the English encouraged the baptizing of slaves, even though at this point, even servants that have been baptized are still considered slaves for life. Since free Africans can no longer buy Christian slaves, they have very limited -
(Part 2) Christian Slave Law
choices at the market. It might seem strange that free Africans are now buying other enslaved Africans since they already know how horrible slavery was, but that was just part of the culture at the time, and for people living there, Africans buying other Africans was completly normal. Even Anthony owned two African servants. -
(Part 3) The Runaway Law
only breaking a plate. It's technically like you are killing the plate, but if it's yours, you're not going to get in trouble for breaking it. The English are now treating the slaves just like these plates. They wouldn't break them on purpose, but if it does happen, thay wouldn't get in trouble for it. -
(Part 2) The Runaway Law
The English are paying the Indians for the recapture of slaves, like one would give a reward for a lost dog. Through this, the English are also gaining some power over the Indians in having them help out with the runaway slave problem. The second part to this law, the killing of slaves, is also very important, because now the English will not go to court for killing a slave, because all slaves are replaceable. It's kind of like if you accidentally broke a plate. You wouldn't go to court for -
(Part 1) The Runaway Law
As the English continued to gain control over Africans, enslaved and free, through new laws, they had to come up with a way to prevent the slaves from running away. This new law stated that if an Indian caught a runaway slave and turned them in, the English would pay them. If the slave was accidentally killed in the process, then the person responsible would not have to go to court. Through this law, the English are starting to dehumanize the slaves, making them more like property than people. -
(Part 3) Hog Stealing Law
ear, the English are leaving the hog thief deaf, unable to hear for the rest of their life. This is the definition of torture:
The act of inflicting excruciating pain, as punishment or revenge, as a means of getting a confession or information, or for sheer cruelty.
The hog stealing law perfectly fits that definition, meaning the English are torturing people, just for the loss of a hog. -
(Part 2) Hog Stealing Law
longer care what they do to the Africans, as long as they get their way. In the Runaway Law, it already states that the English will not go to court for killing a slaves, and through those two laws, the English seem to be saying that the slaves are only tools, not people. If slaves are killed, that's fine. Go buy a new one. If Africans aren't doing what the English want, just hurt them so much that they won't ever want do mess up again, even if it means disabling them. In cutting off a person's -
(Part 1) Hog Stealing Law
Because of an earlier law which claimed that Africans could not own guns, they could not hunt in order to get food. A result of this law was hog stealing. To prevent Africans fom continuing to steal their hogs, the English turned to torture. The first offense, with one witness, would have the accused African given 39 lashes. The second would put them in the pillory for two hours. After the time was up, they had their ears cut off. This is extremely important because it seems like the English no -
(Part 3) Conclusion
like the English were even aware that through some of theur laws they were torturing human beings, because by then the Africans were only animals. Some parts of this still goes on today. In parts of the world there is still slavery, torture, and greed for power. There is still discrsimination. It doesn't always become so big as it did with the Aficans and the English, but history repeats itself. You'd think that after the first time things happen, people would do everything possible to stop it -
(Part 1) Conclusion
Even though Anthony accomplished a lot throughout his life, his sons could not do the same. Because of English laws, Anthony's sons and grandsons never became anything more than a small freeholder or tenant farmer. It seemed like the English didn't think through their laws sometimes, because when they solved one problem with a new law, it lead to another. For example, taking away the Africans guns lead to hog stealing, which resulted in the hog stealing law. Sadly, the English ended up passing -
(Part 2) Conclusion
so many laws that by the time they were done, the Africans were probably viewed as no more than laboring animals, always replaceable, not even worthy enough to have their owner taken to court if they were murdered. They might not have ever said that out loud, but the English passed so many laws with that hidden message that it wouldn't even be suprising if someone did. The English didn't think of themselves as murderers. The law stated that they weren't if they killed an African. It didn't seem -
(Part 4) Conclusion
from happening again, and some do. But when things like mass discrimination happen again, those few aren't enough to stop it. It doesn't take that much to prevent this discrimination. Stand up for someone who is being bullied. Do something.Don't let discrimination go overboard again like it did with the English and the Africans.
