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The Life of Anthony Johnson and his Sons
Anthony Johnson was captured from Africa by a slave ship, captured by pirates, then sold into slavery. He later bought his freedom and owned 250 acres of land as he raised a family and watched the rights of negroes slowly diminish before him. -
Act X
ALL persons except negroes to be provided with arms and ammunition or be fined at the pleasure of the governor and council. The negroes were once able to defend themselves and get their own food, and now they are dependent on the English because they have no weapons. The English did this so there would be no fear of an uprising. -
Document A
Africans shall have a place in society according to Court Case Docment A and C. Anthony Johnson gains land and actually takes an Englishman to court and wins! "Mastering the New world-Antonio" state that after Anthony Johnson died, the Virginia Court decided that "he was a negro, and therefore an alien,". -
Document A Continued
All of his land was to be reverted to England and his promise of land to his oldest son was not kept. Even though Anthony and his wife, Mary had already sold 200 acres of land, the remaining bit was still given back to England. -
Act I
An act about the casual killing of slaves. Now slaves are not just punished severely, but killed with no thought from the law. The document states that, whereas the only law in force for the punishment of refractory servants resisting their master, mistress, or overseer cannot be inflicted upon negroes, nor the obstinacy of many of them byother violent means supprest, be it enacted and declared by this grand assembly, if any slave resit his master and by the extremity of the mistake shall die. -
Chap IV
An act declaring who shall not bear office in this country. All negroes who bear office would now lose their job and white Englishmen will now rule out negroes, making them even more pushed away from society. With no negroes in office, the laws and restictions will become even more harsh against them. -
Chapter XXII
An act declaring that any Negro, Mulatto, or Indian slave within this dominion, to be real estate. Now all slaves can be bought, traded, and sold like an inanimate object. These are human beings that should be taught like human beings. This law truly lowered morale for the slaves.