Slave codes

Definition

Colonial laws that defined the legal status of enslaved people and restricted their movements and rights. They show how slavery was enforced and what slaveholders feared, such as flight or revolt. Reading a slave code as evidence tells us about the law-makers' perspective, not the experience of the enslaved, so pair it with narratives and other sources. See also: chattel slavery, primary source, and the guide Evaluating Primary Sources on Slavery.