Virginia Legalizes Wounding or Killing an Enslaved Person
In 1672, the Virginia legislative assembly enacted a law that legalized the wounding or killing of an enslaved person who resisted arrest. This law permitted slave owners to use lethal force against enslaved individuals who attempted to resist capture or punishment. Additionally, it provided financial compensation to the owners for the loss of an enslaved laborer if the person was killed during the arrest. This legislation was part of a broader legal framework designed to control and discipline enslaved people, reinforcing the power of slave owners and the systemic brutality of the institution of slavery in colonial Virginia.
King of England Charters Royal African Company
The King of England charters the Royal African Company, which becomes England’s major slave-trading organization into the 1730s.
Richard Blome Publishes A Description of the Island of Jamaica
The cartographer Richard Blome publishes A Description of the Island of Jamaica in London, which describes slavery in Jamaica for a popular audience.