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Period: to
Diminishing Progress
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Introduction
Find more info here. The year is 1621. Negroe Anthony Johnson was captured and taken to the colonies to be a slave. 20 years later, he and his wife, Mary, bought their freedom and became plantation owners. Now they must survive the terrible laws and embrace the few achievements in their life. -
Anthony Johnson Aquires Land
One of Anthony's few achievments was aquiring land. This was not expected, because usually, negroes are working the land, not owning it. Along with aquiring land, Anthony is also allowed to work and rest when he wants to. This was also unexpected, because slaves weren't usually allowed to decide when they work or not. But as Anthony was a free negroe, it is possible. -
Anthony Wins a Court Case and Wins Back His Slave
In the year of 1654, Anthony Johnson won a court case against an Englishman and got his slave back. An ironic situation was that he owns slaves when he used to be one himself. It is also odd that Anthony Johnson won the court case, because the odds were not in his favor. This shows progress because Anthony did something that only an Englishman could do at the time. It is the start of a chain of fortune for Anthony. -
Being Christian Does Not Exempt Bondage
This law was passed in 1667. Most negroes were enslaved at that time, but if they were Christianized, they would most likely be set free. Knowing this, many negroes became Christianized, even if they didn't belive in it. Knowing this, the county made a law that meant, "Even if you are Christian, you can't be free." This gave more control and power to large landowners over their slaves because it took away another ray of hope to become free. -
No Christian Servants For Negroes and Indians
This is a law that specifically targets free Africans. It states that any Negroe or Indian cannot buy Christian servants. This law diminished progress because most slaves were Christian at the time, so it severely limited which slaves Free Africans could own. This law didn't target large landowners, so they still had a variety to choose from. -
Part 1 A Bounty on Slaves
This law states that if a slave is to run away or escape, a bounty can be placed on them. Englishmen could ask Indians to find the runaway slaves and bring them back. If it was successful, the Indian would be rewarded. This law makes the slaves almost property. They are still considered human, but the bounty makes them seem more inhuman. -
Part 2 A Bounty on Slaves
This law could have been made for the landowners too. In fear that the slaves may run away, they made slaves fear them more by putting a bounty on them if they ran away. -
That's a Wrap!!!
This timeline forces you to think about the past of our country. In this case, the slaves did not react fast enough to unfair laws, and by the time they spoke out, it was too late to fix it. The same thing can happen in the future, too. Unruly leaders pass laws that abuse peoples' rights. Unless people speak out, it will be too late to repair the damage done. So, will you speak out?
