Diminishing progress

Life of Anthony Johnson and sons

Period: Jan 1, 1620 to Dec 31, 1706

Introduction

Jan 1, 1621

Anthony Johnson was a African slave .He came to colonial Virginia as an indentured servant because there was a law called Siete Partidas that law said that lifelong slavery was inhumane so Chrstianized slaves were only in bondage for 20 yrs. He saw Africans rights gradually taken away.

Anthony Johnson Acquired land

Feb 21, 1645

Anthony Johnson acquires land through the headright patent system and becomes a successful plantation owner. It shows that back then a former slave could come out of slavery and become a successful farm owner and that they were able to rise in society.

Anthony Johnson wins court case

Feb 21, 1654

Anthony winning a court case shows that African’s were not considered so inferior that people would just vote against them. It also showed that a englishmen would give a testimony in favor of a African and African’s were not just hated by everyone.

Anthony Johnson dies

Feb 28, 1667

Amthony dies leaving his wife and four chiddren alone under the new chrushing slave laws.

Baptism doesn't exempt from slavery

Sep 21, 1667

Now we get to the diminishing progress. This law basically says that once you are in bondage you can't get out of bondage unless the owner lets you out, but by then Anthony was already out of bondage. Before this most slaves could get out of slavery after 20years.If slaves were kept slaves not as many free Africans would be around so they could never really get any power in society.

Casual Killing part 2

Oct 21, 1669

This law was passed because slaves’ time in slavery could not be increased anymore so slave owners had to use physical punishment instead.

Casual killing part 1

Oct 21, 1669

Casual killing states that if a slave "accidently” dies during the master punishing it the person who punishes them and the master are not to blame because they would never want to kill their own damage their own estate. So it’s pretty much saying they would never want to kill their own property. This law is the first time slaves were referred to as property.

Negroes can't hold office

Oct 21, 1705

This final event makes is like the hammer sealing their fate. Now anyone who had any skin color except white was not able to hold any office so now slaves couldn't have any hold on law making or society.

Conclusion part 1

Jan 1, 1706

As you can see the trap that Englishmen were weaving was slowly closing in; by the time the Africans realized it they couldn’t get out. Also if they had passed all these laws at the same time the Englishmen would have spoken out and been flabbergasted by the sudden hate and suppression of Africans.

Conclusion part 2

Jan 1, 1706

Here is a quote that relates to how the Englishmen trapped the Africans “If you put a frog into a boiling pot it will jump out, but if you put a frog in a pot and slowly turn the heat up by the time it realizes it will be too late” by one of Mrs.Spires students.