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Bacon's Rebellion (Virginia)
This image by Rita Honeycutt portrays Bacon’s troops about to burn Jamestown. As the first rebellion of the time period, it marked the rising of chattel slavery; one of the first wedges placed between slaves and indentured servants. After this massive uprising, the colonist became aware that they may be slightly outnumbered by the slaves and indentured servants combined efforts. By including the servants as "Englishmen", slaves would be a separate racial group of their own. -
Chattel Slavery Becomes Law
Several states had already begun chattel slavery prior to Bacon's Rebellion. By the end of the 17th century, chattel slavery had become law in the Chesapeake Colonies (MD,VA) as well. Bacon's Rebellion catalyzed this law into action for the colony. The chattel law defined slaves as personal property of the slaver instead of being recognized as individual people. Now slaves would be used as the primary source of labor as more personal rights and liberties were also stripped away. -
Virginia Slave Code
The Virginia Slave Code was an absolute dividing line between servants and slaves.Not only that, it also deliberately separated blacks from whites and laid out the freedoms that slaves would no longer be privy to. It included the right for a slave to be killed by his master if there was any form of resistance. The slaver would not be punished under those terms. The once equally free slaves and indentured servants were now worlds apart; with indentured servants now in the ranks of Englishmen. -
Stono Rebellion (S. Carolina)
Chattel slavery quickly spread throughout the New England colonies and the domination of whites over their slaves did not let up from state to state. In an effort to regain their freedom, a group of slaves in South Carolina armed themselves for what is noted as the largest slave rebellion. Near the Stono River, this group of slaves killed several white colonist before they were captured and/or executed themselves. As tension continued to rise, more severe acts were set in motion against slaves. -
New York Conspiracy Trials
Following Stono's Rebellion, rumors of other slave revolts spread throughout the colonies. In New York, a series of fires were started with no clear indication of whom ignited them. In fear, authorities blamed the slaves assuming this was their "uprising" and possibly a domino effect to the revolt in S. Carolina. Authorities in New York, therefore, convicted and executed a total of thirty people; including slaves and whites. With no evidence to confirm a conspiracy; the racial divide continues -
The American Revolution (1775-1783)
The American Revolution was a series of wars fought throughout New England that spanned from 1775 to 1783. These wars were pivotal in the separation of New England from Great Britain. However, the rights and liberties that the colonist fought for were not intended to include those in slavery; adding yet another dividing line between slaves and colonist. In 1781, American forces attacked the British by land and sea. The British surrendered placing the victory with America; not quit for slaves. -
Declaration of Independence
In the midst of severing ties with Great Britain, the Continental Congress set forth to draft what would be the foundation of American government as a new Republic. At the time of its transcription, in Philadelphia, PA, the rights and liberties it set forth were not meant for black slaves. However, future events would change that stance. Pictured is one of the first published copies of the Declaration of Independence printed on July 4, 1776. -
The Virginia Plan & Three-Fifths Compromise
James Madison's Virginia Plan helped spell out how each state would be represented in the legislature. States with larger populations would have more representation. Slaves,where initially included fully in this count, but slave owners felt they should not be recognized. To that end, the Constitution was ratified in 1787 to include a compromise which counted slaves as only 3/5 of a person for taxation and representation purposes; giving states / slaveholders with slaves a tax break. -
Naturalization Act
The Naturalization Act of 1790 spelled out the criteria for citizenship in the United States. Citizenship was granted to "free white persons...of good character" and excluded, blacks, Indians and even Asians. Though this may seem like another hindrance for slaves seeking equality, years later it would actually prove to be a window of opportunity to slowly gain citizenship, as well as some of the rights and liberties that were taken away years prior. -
The Abolishment of Slave Trade
The Slave Trade Act, although not a victory, was a stepping stone for slaves in the fight for equality. The Act prohibited the importation of new slaves into the United States, however slavery would take another 50 or so years to be abolished. The Act signified a change in the attitudes of some Englishmen and the government that led them. What started off as equal grounds (between slaves and servants) quickly became uneven and eventually a complete intolerance for slaves altogether.
