The Negative Effects Of Slave Codes

500 Words2 Pages
Slave codes were laws put into effect to keep black slaves oppressed. Some basic and common slave codes kept slaves from owning guns, meeting in large groups, leaving their plantation without written permission, and learning how to read and write. Masters usually had complete control over their slaves and were not punished by law for correcting, beating, whipping, raping, or even killing their slaves. If a slave tried to run away, they could receive any of the above punishments. Although these may not seem very harsh, these punishments were common for the years prior to the Civil War. There were also many regulations on family life, home life, working, and just about everything a slave did. A child born to a slave was a slave, regardless of who his father was. Some slave masters allowed their slaves to have children. Since slaves were seen as property, child slaves just meant more slaves for free. Since slaves were seen as property, they were not allowed to own anything. Property can not own property of its own. In the Deep South, slave codes were much more strict. Even after the new slave codes in 1739, many of the harmful laws were still in place or even strengthened. Slaves could not work for more than fifteen hours in the summer and no more than fourteen hours in the winter. Slaves could not raise a hand to a white man even…show more content…
In the South, black could not do much to help because of the laws in place. However, in the North, freed blacks voted, wrote, bought slaves out of slavery, and even created escape routes called the underground railroad. Solomon Northup was a well known freed black because he was freed, captured as a slave for twelve years, then bought out of slavery once again. He became an advocate for black slaves and raised awareness for all blacks as a race. Freed blacks always carried proof of freedom with them so they wouldn't be wrongfully
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