17th Century Legal Precedents on Race

Year	Colony	Latitude	Longitude	Key Provisions
1635	Barbados	13.19389	-59.5432	Governor declares that all Africans and Indians brought to the island to be considered enslaved unless they have a contract that says otherwise
1641	Massachusetts Bay	42.062868,	-71.7184		Legalizes the enslavement of African captives within the colony
1643	Virginia	38.00354	-79.4588	Women of African descent and all men made subject to tithe to support the Church of England
1661	Barbados	13.19389	-59.5432	First comprehensive code for enslaved people enacted in English America, setting model for other colonies.
1661	Virginia	38.00354	-79.4588	Indentured servants who run away with enslaved people to serve time that enslaved person missed as well as time that they missed
1662	Virginia	38.00354	-79.4588	child’s legal status to follow that of the mother rather than the father
1664	Maryland	38.80666	-77.268	enslavement defined as a lifelong legal condition
1665	New York	40.69749	-73.9797	New England Assembly, composed largely of migrants from New England recognizes enslavement as lifelong condition.
1667	Virginia	38.00354	-79.4588	Denies that baptism provides legal grounds to sue for freedom
1670	Virginia	38.00354	-79.4588	Indians taken as captive outside of colony and imported enslaved. Indians captured within to serve from for duration from age 12-30
1679	New York	40.69749	-73.9797	Enslavement of Indians prohibited
1680	Virginia	38.00354	-79.4588	Enslaved Africans barred from carry arms, assembling, or leaving plantations held in bondgage without a pass from slaveholder.
1691	Virginia	38.00354	-79.4588	Whites barred from marry PoC, children of such unions between English women and African males to become indentured, mothers pay fine, become indentured. Slaveholders compensaed if enslaved runaways killed while captured. Free PoC ordered to leave colony
1692	Virginia	38.00354	-79.4588	Special courts created for trials concerning enslaved people accused of crimes.
1696	South Carolina	33.6248	-80.9465	Establishes first comprehensive code for enslaved persons, modeled after that of Barbados.