Wiecek, William M. The Origins of the Law of Slavery in British North America. Yeshiva University, 1996.
From this legal source, I will mainly focus on chapter 4, “The Origins of Slavery in the Mainland Colonies A. New England”. Many Americans believe that Massachusetts was anti-slavery, however it was one of the earliests midland colonies to establish slavery. In Rhode Island, they attempted to ban slavery in their anti-slavery statute in 1652 that states, “Whereas, there is a common course practised amongst English men to buy negers, to that end they may have them for service or slaves forever; for the preventinge of such practices among us, let it be ordered, that no blacke mankind or white being forced by covenant bond, or otherwise, to serve any man or his assighnes longer than ten years, or untill they come to bee twentie four yeares of age, if they bee taken in under fourteen, from the time of their cominge within the liberties of this Collonie. And at the end or terme of ten yeares to sett them free, as the manner is with the English servants. And that man that will not let them goe free, or shall sell them away elsewhere, to that end that they may bee enslaved to others for a long time, hee or they shall forfeit to the Collonie forty pounds.” But this statute isn’t what it appears to be. Newport was not considered when the act was first created, and the port that was indicated in the slave trade, was the “slaving center” in the Atlantic slave trade until the nineteenth century. The statute was never enforced. The Rhode Island plantations were as big as 12,000 acres, and were worked by numerous enslaved Africans “who were strictly disciplined by colonial statute and local ordinance.”
In the first part of chapter 4 the author includes, “Because most Americans associate Massachusetts with antislavery, here is a poignant irony in the fact that it was the earliest of the mainland colonies to establish slavery.” Again, Massachusetts is mentioned in being the first or earliest to participate in racism. It was the earliest colony to establish slavery and it was the first state to suggest Jim Crow Laws. What does this show us? This gives us plenty of reasons to believe that America has tainted it’s history in order to seem liberal. The truth of Massachusetts isn’t taught in schools, and I, myself, is taken aback from information like this. Most northern states, if not all, have engaged in slavery.
