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Diminishing Progress
students have been reading, analyzing, and evaluating primary and secondary sources -
Introduction
Anthony Johnson and what he accomplished, as in earning his freedom and winning a court case against an English man, demonstrates the progressive part of ‘diminishing progress’. The laws and acts that were established during and after Johnson’s death in 1670 pushed the Africans’ status down from people, to lesser people, to property, and to the time where the Englishmen didn’t think of Africans as fellow humans. -
Anthony Johnson Gains Freedom
Anthony Johnson gains his freedom in the 1640’s after spending half his life as an indentured servant. At this time, the thought was “that slavery was not a natural condition for mankind” (Document A pg.19), allowing Anthony a chance of becoming a free African. This shows how in the 1640's, "slaves were more similar to servants - not necessarily slaves for life." (mdroots.thinkport.org/library/anthonyjohnson.asp) -
Anthony Johnson Gains Freedom (cont.)
After gaining his freedom, Anthony probably then chose the surname 'Johnson' to signify his new status and announce that he was no longer a slave. The gaining of freedom was a sign of progression for Anthony Johnson because he moved from being a slave to becoming a free African. -
No Guns
The act that was established in 1639/40 states, “ALL persons except negroes to be provided with arms and ammunition or be fined at pleasure of the Governor and Council.” (Hening, ed., The Statues at Large, vol.1, p.226.) This means it is necessary for Englishmen to have guns, but an African, regardless of being free or enslaved, cannot own or bare a weapon. While Anthony Johnson’s accomplishments show progression, this act is limiting African rights by prohibiting their use of guns, and is one -
No Guns (cont.)
of many acts to come that will lower the status of African people in the eyes of Englishmen, thus starting the gradual diminishing of the progress Anthony Johnson made. -
Anthony Johnson Wins Court Case
In 1654, Anthony Johnson wins a court case against Mr. Robert Parker, whom is an Englishman, over the slave John Casar. Anthony suspected Robert Parker of keeping his slave from him, and the court did find that Anthony Johnson was speaking the truth. “It’s therefore the judgement of the court and ordered that the said master Anthony Johnson and that the said Robert Parker make payment of all charge…” (Court Case C pg.17) The fact that a freed African won against an -
Anthony Johnson Wins Court Case (cont.)
Englishman in court shows the progression of Anthony Johnson, and Africans in general, on racial equality at this time. -
Baptism Does Not Mean Freedom
In 1667, a new act was created and it declared that slaves couldn’t gain their freedom, even if baptized. Before this act was announced, “pertakers of the blessed sacrament of baptisme, should by vertue of their baptisme be made ffree…” ( September 1667 act pg.6) Now that enslaved Africans could not become free due to being baptized, the Englishmen have closed a loop hole that formerly allowed slaves to escape enslavement. The ‘no guns’ act of 1639/40 lowered Africans’ status from people to -
Baptism Does Not Mean Freedom (cont.)
‘lesser people’, and this new act of 1667 further deepens the Africans’ transformation to being treated as ‘lesser people.’ -
Penalty for Hog Stealing
As the Act of 1699 states, slaves whom committed the convicted crime of hog stealing will receive punishment. For the first offence of hog stealing from an African slave, the penalty is that the said slave will “receive on his bare back thirty nine lashes well laid on…” (April 1699-ACT pg.12) For the second time an African or slave evidently steals a hog, that slave “shall stand two hours in the pillory and have both his eares nailed thereto and at the expiration of the said two hours have his -
Penalty for Hog Stealing (cont)
ears cutt off close by the nailes…” African slaves became fully dehumanized with this law because the Englishmen believed that no human being should be treated in this manner. In ‘diminishing progress’, this act is easily worse than the ones established in previous years, worsening the circumstances of Africans to an unbearable extent. -
Conclusion
In this example of 'diminishing progress', Anthony Johnson achieved many accomplishments as an African, like winning against an Englishman in court, and acts that were established steadily over time worsened the conditions of free Africans and African slaves.
