The American Slave Code, in Theory and Practice: Its Distinctive Features Shown by Its Statutes, Judicial Decisions and Illustrative Facts (Classic Reprint) - Hardcover

William Goodell

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1528585976 ISBN 13: 9781528585972

Publisher: Forgotten Books, 2018

Synopsis

A hard look at the legal backbone of American slavery and its daily impact.

This work surveys the statutes, judicial decisions, and practical facts that shaped how slaves and free people of color lived, worked, and were controlled in the United States.

Drawing on historical records and contemporary testimony, the book traces how slaveholding was enforced, how fugitives were pursued, and how laws varied from state to state. It also examines how neighboring sovereigns, like the Cherokees and Choctaws, created their own slave codes and how these codes reflected and reinforced racial hierarchy. The result is a detailed, sometimes stark portrait of slavery’s legal and social machinery.

• How fugitive slaves were identified, pursued, and returned through record-keeping and legal warrants.
• Examples of slave codes and related laws from different states and nations, including how punishments were imposed.
• Considerations of religious, educational, and civil restrictions placed on enslaved people and free people of color.
• Context for the broader moral and legal debate surrounding slavery in early American history.

Ideal for readers seeking a careful, document-based view of how law and power intersected with race in the slave era.

Edition details

• Publisher: Forgotten Books
• Publication date: 2018
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1528585976
• ISBN 13: 9781528585972
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 425