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Introduction/Overview Part 2
to oppress the enslaved africans and free africans. -
Introduction/ Overview Part 1
Anthony Johnson, an African, arrives in colonial Virginia. He arrives as an indentured servant rather than as a slave due to the Siete Partidas laws which state that if he was a Christian, he could not be held in bondage forever. So he converted to Christianity before he arrived in colonial Virginia so that he could be free in a certain period of time. Eventually, he began to carve himself a place in colonial society. Although he accoplished this, the English began a systematic passage of laws -
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Lives of Anthony Johnson and Sons
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Anthony Johnson Acquires Land
Click here to learn more about Anthony Johnson owning land.Anthony Johnson acquiring land is important to diminishing progress because this shows that Anthony Johnson could not be a slave for life. It shows that Captain Taylor respected him enough to split his land with Anthony. It also shows that now Anthony can provide for his family and work when he wanted to and play when he wanted to. This was a lot of progress on Anthony Johnson's part because there was a small number of free africans in the colonies and an even smaller number of them owned land. -
Anthony Johnson Wins Court Case Against an Englishman
Click here to learn more about Anthony Johnson Winning a court case.Anthony Johnson winning in court againts an Englishman is important to diminishing progress because it shows that, just because he was an African, didn't mean he wasn't powerless in court. He could win court cases against an Englishman. The color of his skin did not affect the outcome of this court. This was an immense amount of progress for Anthony Johnson. -
Baptism Does Not Exempt From Bondage Law is Passed
Click here to learn more about Siete Partidas lawsThis is important to diminishing progress because, it showed that even though they were Christian, the English cared too much about making money rather than their own religion. After the passage of this law, the English encouraged the slave-owners to baptize their slaves. Because the Siete Partides laws no longer applied to the Africans, it was as if the English were only giving them a portion of the religion, not the full benefit. -
Casual Killing Law is Passed
Scroll to Document E to learn about this lawThis law is important to diminishing progress because it states that if a slave-owner kills their slave during punishment, the slave-owner would not be charged with murder. This is also one of the first laws that starts to hint at the fact that Englishmen were starting to consider slaves as property, not people. This was completely inhumane. The English were continuing to create laws that dehumanized slaves. -
Free Africans Not to Own Christian Slaves Part 1
The passage of this law was important to diminishing progress because this law was not directed at the slave population but at the few free africans. The passage of this law prevented the free africans from making more progress than they already had. At this point in time, baptism didn't mean freedom from bondage for the enslaved africans, so many plantation owners had converted their slaves to Christianity. This meant that of the huge population of slaves many were now christian thus less -
Free Africans Not to Own Christian Slaves Part 2
slaves were available for Anthony Johnson and the other free africans in colonial Virginia who needed them. -
Conclusion Part 2
leave that group powerless jusat because they are different. -
Conclusion Part 1
Click here to learn more about slave laws in colonial Virginia. If somone were to rise in power and tried to oppress a group through the passage of laws like the English did, everyone in that group could be lot of trouble. It could be the person next door. If people were to let this matter go, eventually, that group would be essentially powerless. So, don't just let it go, fight against it if it happens. Don't
