Africans Exempted from Gun Ownership
In 1640, the Virginia legislative assembly enacted a law that excluded Africans, who were enslaved, from the requirement to possess arms. This law reflected the growing legal and social distinctions between European settlers and Africans, reinforcing the legal framework of racial segregation and control. By exempting Africans from the requirement to possess weapons, the law further entrenched the social and racial hierarchies that were emerging in colonial Virginia. This legal exclusion highlighted the increasing restrictions placed on Africans and their evolving status within the colonial society.
John Punch Sentenced to Slavery
Virginia’s General Court enters a life-time sentence for John Punch, an African… a run-away indentured servant. The court proceedings reveal an example of interracial cooperation among servants at a time when the colony leaders were starting to create legal difference between Europeans and Africans. Punch becomes first African sentenced to slavery for life by law in Virginia.