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Difficulty: EasyLegal Construction of Slavery and Slave Codes

In 1680, the Virginia House of Burgesses passed 'An act for preventing Negroes Insurrections' to restrict the movement and assembly of enslaved people. Which of the following was a primary restriction imposed by this early slave code?

  1. Requiring enslaved individuals to carry a written certificate or pass from their owner when leaving their home plantationAnswer
  2. B
    Allowing enslaved individuals to legally purchase their freedom if they chose to convert to Christianity
  3. C
    Determining that the legal status of a newborn child would follow the free or enslaved status of the father
  4. D
    Declaring that enslaved status would automatically expire after a set period of seven years of agricultural labor

Answer

Requiring enslaved individuals to carry a written certificate or pass from their owner when leaving their home plantation
The correct option is correct because the 1680 Virginia statute aimed to control the physical movement of the enslaved population to prevent potential coordination of rebellions, making it illegal for an enslaved person to leave their master's plantation without a written pass.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the historical context of the 1680 Virginia statute 'An act for preventing Negroes Insurrections.'
Identify that the law was designed to control and monitor the physical movement of enslaved populations to prevent gatherings and potential rebellions.
This establishes the legal intent behind the restrictions on mobility and assembly.
2
Evaluate the options against the historical terms of early slave codes and the concept of chattel slavery.
Confirm that carrying a written pass was the primary mechanism of regulating travel between plantations.
This isolates the correct statutory provision from historical misconceptions.

Key Concept

The statutory codification of racialized control and restriction of movement under early slave codes
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Topics

Legal Construction of Slavery and Slave Codes

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