-
Anthony and Mary Johnson were brought to Virginia via slave ship
- Anthony Johnson was brought to Virginia on a slave ship in 1621 with the name Antonio. He was caught as a young man in the Portuguese slave-trading net of the "Bautisa" piracy. Anthony "bounced" from one trader to another in England until he finally reached his destination- Virginia. During the lengthy process to America, Anthony and his future wife Maria found themselves at Earl of Warwick's massive manor at Leigh’s Priory in Felsted, England. Here, Anthony was converted to Catholicism, but
-
Period: to
The Life of Anthony Johnson and His Family
-
Anthony and Mary Johnson were brought to Virginia via slave ship (continued)
never gave up his Angolan identity. In fact, in America, Mary and Anthony's grandson would later name their plantation Angola, in memory of their homeland. Lord Rich, who participated in the "Treasurer" and "Bautista" piracies, did not want Anthony and Mary to remain in England. He put the slaves on the ship "James" and bound them to the Bennett plantation. "In the next year, Anthony was brought face-to-face with the world of tri-racial contact and conflict that would shape the remainder of -
Anthony and Mary Johnson were brought to Virginia via slave ship (continued 2)
his life."-Document A (Primary Source) -
Anthony and Mary Johnson gained their freedom after 1/2 lifetime servitude
- Mary and Anthony Johnson were brought from Africa to Virginia via slave ships in 1621. Anthony spent some 20 years laboring on the Bennett plantation, and finally, after half-lifetime servitude, Anthony and his wife gained freedom. This is important to the act of diminishing progress because back before all the heinous laws were passed, Anthony was not treated as if he were property and easily replaceable. He was given freedom, instead of how later slaves felt, being owned for life with
-
Anthony and Mary Johnson gained their freedom after 1/2 lifetime servitude (continued)
no hope whatsoever of ever being freed from bondage. Back then (in 1621) slaves were allowed to raise cattle and crops of their own to purchase their freedom. Before later laws were passed, slaves actually had a place in society and weren't considered property. Anthony Johnson was truly lucky to have been freed and been living partly before the act of diminishing progress. -
Act XII. Negroe women's children to serve according to the condition of the mother,
This law was the second in the long line of heinous laws that diminished progress. This law stated that women who were enslaved and pregnant would have their children serve according to her status. So, if she was a slave, her newborn would also be in bondage. This law diminished progress because it literally told negroe women and men both who they could love. Members of the General Assembly (according to ACT XII- Primary Document) hoped by passing this law that an increased fine (in this case -
Act XII. Negroe women's children to serve according to the condition of the mother,
an increased fine-in this case their child) would discourage white men and women from having sexual partners who were African or of African descent. -
ACT I. An act about the casual killing of slaves,
- According to ACT I, (primary Source) Colonial leaders decided that corporal punishment was the only way in which a master could "correct" a slave since his/her time of servitude couldn't be extended. The document says, "Any slave that resisted his master, and by the extremity of the correction should chance to die, that his/her death shall not be considered a felony. This diminished progress because slaves now had barely any rights, and could be killed with no punishment for the murderer.
-
ACT I. An act about the casual killing of slaves. (continued)
The gruesome laws destroying the slaves way oflife were supressing the entire race, and making people in bondage feel as if they aren't even there, like they don't have a say in the laws being passed. -
ACT XXII. An act declaring the Negroe, Mulato, and Indian slaves within this dominion, to be real estate.
This was it. The final law passed to the total destruction of rights. According to this law, slaves were no longer people, but property. This law somewhat is like ACT I (the casual killing of slaves) because both laws treat slaves like property. I'd like to go back to the saying, "If you put a frog in a boiling pot, he'll jump out. But if you put him a pot of water, and slowly crank up the heat, he won't." This is what the white people did -
ACT XXII. An act declaring the Negroe, Mulato, and Indian slaves within this dominion, to be real estate.
to destroy the race. Before the Negroes could understand whatwas happening, the water was already too hot. They were in too deep, and were drowning in the terrible life of a slave in the late 1600s-to early 1700s.
