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Anthony Johnson (Introduction)
Anthony Johnson was an indentured servant who came to the colony of Virginia in 1620. He became free and made a good life for himself. He became a respectable member of his community and even owned his own slave. He built a life for himself and his family, but his children and grandchildren watched in crumble before their eyes. This is the art of diminishing progress. -
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Lives of Anthony Johnson and his Children
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Anthony Johnson Acquires Land
Anthony Johnson acquiring land is important because it means he is no longer in servitude. It means that he is now free, and is no longer owned by Captain Taylor or anybody. He can now work and sell his products and keep the profit for himself. -
Anthony Goes to Court for his Slave, John Casar
At this time, John Casar (the slave) says that he is under indentured servitude and requested to be free, but Anthony said that he was enslaved, so that he was there for life. Anthony wins the case and John Casar returns to the service of his master for life. This is important because Anthony Johnson, a former slave and also a negro, wins a case against an Englishman who had John Casar. This shows that color did not matter under the law at this time, that the courts were still somewhat fair. -
Baptism Cannot Exempt from Bondage
Click here for Siete Partidas Laws on slavery, see paragraph 4.Prior to this law, if an enlslaved person were to become baptized into Christianity, they would be exempt from bondage. This means if an enslaved person were to become baptized into the Church of England, they would be freed, no longer considered a slave. Race did not matter if they are enslaved and then become baptized, it does not make them free anymore. -
Casual Killing of Slaves
In this act, colonial leaders decided that corporal punishment was the only way to an owner could correct a slave since their time of servitude could not be lengthened. This is important because in this act, they address that if the owner physically punishes a slave, and if it so happens that the slave were to die from their injuries, that the the master would not be charged with felony. Even if the master hired somone else to punish the slave, neither of them would be blamed for the homocide. -
Casual Killing of Slaves (Continued)
This is also the first time that a person of African descent is referred to as property. This is the first time that they define a negro as a slave and as property. -
Who Cannot Bear Office
In this act, it defines that no one who has ever come into trouble with the law or any negro, mulatto, or Indian shall ever hold office. It also says that anyone currently holding office must pay a fine and continue paying the price until they give up their position of power. This is important because this makes it so that any person of color has no say in what goes on in the colony.
