Primary Sources
OCTOBER 1705 - CHAP. XXIII.
I. FOR the better settling and preservation of estates within this dominion, II. Be it enacted, by the governor, council and burgesses of this present general assembly, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, That from and after the passing of this act, all negro, mulatto, and Indian slaves, in all courts of judicature, and other places, within this dominion, shall be held, taken, and adjudged, to be real estate (and not chattels;) and shall descend unto the heirs and widows of persons departing this life, according to the manner and custom of land of inheritance, held in fee simple. |
The Selling of Joseph: A Memorial Part of Page One Transcript:
FOR AS MUCH as Liberty is in real value next unto Life: None ought to part with it themselves, or deprive others of it, but upon most mature Consideration. The Numerousness of Slaves at this day in the Province, and the Uneasiness of them under their Slavery, hath put many upon thinking whether the Foundation of it be firmly and well laid; so as to sustain the Vast Weight that is built upon it. It is most certain that all Men, as they are the Sons of Adam, are Coheirs; and have equal Right unto Liberty, and all other outward Comforts of Life. GOD hath given the Earth [with all its Commodities] unto the Sons of Adam, Psal 115. 16. And hath made of One Blood, all Nations of Men, for to dwell on all the face of the Earth; and hath determined the Times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation: That they should seek the Lord. Forasmuch then as we are the Offspring of GOD &c. Act 17.26, 27, 29. Now although the Title given by the last ADAM, doth infinitely better Mens Estates, respecting GOD and themselves; and grants them a most beneficial and inviolable Lease under the Broad Seal of Heaven, who were before only Tenants at Will: Yet through the Indulgence of GOD to our First Parents after the Fall, the outward Estate of all and every of the Children, remains the same, as to one another. So that Originally, and Naturally, there is no such thing as Slavery. Joseph was rightfully no more a Slave to his Brethren, then they were to him : and they had no more Authority to Sell him, than they had to Slay him. And if they had nothing to do to Sell him; the Ishmaelites bargaining with them, and paying down Twenty pieces of Silver, could not make a Title. Neither could Potiphar have any better Interest in him than the Ishmaelites had. Gen. 37. 20, 27, 28. For he that shall in this case plead Alteration of Property, seems to have forfeited a great part of his own claim to Humanity. There is no proportion between Twenty Pieces of Silver, and LIBERTY. The Commodity it self is the Claimer. If Arabian Gold be imported in any quantities, most are afraid to meddle with it, though they might have it at easy rates; lest if it should have been wrongfully taken from the Owners, it should kindle a fire to the Consumption of their whole Estate.'Tis pity there should be more Caution used in buying a Horse, or a little lifeless dust; than there is in purchasing Men and Women: Whenas they are the Offspring of GOD, and their Liberty is, |
Primary Source Analysis
The Selling of Joseph: A Memorial, written by Samuel Sewall in 1700, contradicts with The Statutes at Large in that the The Selling of Joseph: A Memorial, makes a statement that slaves should be treated as real human beings by the masters, in which Samuel Sewall says, "It is most certain that all men, as they are the sons of Adam, are coheirs, and have equal right unto liberty, and all other outward comforts of life" (Sewall 1700). However, in the The Statutes at Large, one of the acts, being made in October 1705, declares that slaves were to be treated as property, in which it says "That from and after the passing of this act, all negro, mulatto, and Indian slaves, in all courts of judicature, and other places, within this dominion, shall be held, taken, and adjudged, to be real estate", heavily contrasting to the ideals that Sewall had proclaimed in his letter (Virginia, pp.333, 1823). These differences were seeded from the aftermath of Bacon's Rebellion in 1676, in which the governors had antagonized the African Americans to prevent another white settler uprising. More so, African American slaves had largely replaced indentured servants in the workforce, leading to feelings of superiority by the white settlers, and thus prompting them to treat the slaves as property, in which they were massively exported from Africa in the transatlantic trade for labor on plantations. Even before the act within The Statutes at Large, slaves were already treated as inferior to the white settlers, as Sewall had to address that slaves were being mistreated by such settlers. These differences tell about the time period in that feelings of racial supremacy were already developing within the colonies, where this issue is still being discussed today. However, these differences also say about the period in that there are already people that are willing to stand up for the rights of African slaves, although a small group, in which they want to seek a better way to provide labor for plantations.
Synthesis Article
The issues that revolved around racial supremacy in the colonial era still exist today and are key aspects that had shaped life around me. African Americans today and slaves in the colonial era both face racism, from white Americans in the past and in the present. Compared to the past, however, African Americans today had gained more civil rights than slaves would have in colonial America, mainly due to the fact that slavery was abolished in 1865, and that many civil rights movements were held. Despite this, racism has persisted throughout American history, and first became deeply rooted when the slavery of Africans first began in 1619. For example, police shootings usually involve an African American more so than a white American in recent history. This shows that racism still continues today, even after several civil rights movements, although subtly.
On a different note, the abolition of slavery led to innovation of technology to make labor on plantations less strenuous, especially with the introduction of newfound machines. Work in the plantations of the colonial era was largely done by African slaves, mainly due to the fact that they were a cheap labor force that could withstand the harsh farming conditions. Compared to the present, work in the colonial era was largely inefficient with the absence of machines to make work easier and faster. Due to such limitations, crop yields in the past would prove to be substantially less than what is produced today. This shows that America will often seek better methods to increase production and efficiency, mainly through advancements in technology.
On a different note, the abolition of slavery led to innovation of technology to make labor on plantations less strenuous, especially with the introduction of newfound machines. Work in the plantations of the colonial era was largely done by African slaves, mainly due to the fact that they were a cheap labor force that could withstand the harsh farming conditions. Compared to the present, work in the colonial era was largely inefficient with the absence of machines to make work easier and faster. Due to such limitations, crop yields in the past would prove to be substantially less than what is produced today. This shows that America will often seek better methods to increase production and efficiency, mainly through advancements in technology.
Image of Colonial Era
This image of a white landowner smoking a pipe and being surrounded by his slaves that harvested the tobacco pertains to technology and work in that, for technology, traditional farmer hand tools were used, mainly being a hoe, rather than the use of machines for work on plantations, and that, for work, plantation labor largely consisted of African slaves, of which were owned by rich white landowners, as depicted in the image (Virginia planter's best tobacco, n.d.). This best encapsulates the colonial era because agriculture was the basis of economy for the southern colonies in the whole of the colonial era, and because it shows that African slaves were widely exploited for their labor on plantations.
Works Cited
Sewall, S. (1700). The selling of Joseph: A memorial. Boston of the Massachusetts: Printed by Bartholomew Green, and John Allen. Retrieved from http://www.masshist.org/database/viewer.php?item_id=53&img_step=1&mode=dual#page1
Virginia. (1823). XXIII. In Statutes at large [Google Book] (p. 333). Retrieved from https://books.google.com/books?id=rTQMAQAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q=An%20act%20declaring%20the%20Negro%2C%20Mulatto%2C%20and%20Indian%20slaves%20within%20this%20dominion%2C%20to%20be%20real%20estate.&f=false
Virginia planter's best tobacco [Tobacco plantation with white landowner and slaves]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://marthawashington.us/items/show/109
Virginia. (1823). XXIII. In Statutes at large [Google Book] (p. 333). Retrieved from https://books.google.com/books?id=rTQMAQAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q=An%20act%20declaring%20the%20Negro%2C%20Mulatto%2C%20and%20Indian%20slaves%20within%20this%20dominion%2C%20to%20be%20real%20estate.&f=false
Virginia planter's best tobacco [Tobacco plantation with white landowner and slaves]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://marthawashington.us/items/show/109