1662
Virginia, VA · On map
Virginia passed a law establishing that children born to enslaved mothers would automatically be enslaved, codifying race-based and hereditary enslavement in the colony[3]. This legislation transformed slavery from a temporary or conditional status into a permanent, inherited condition tied to race, cementing the legal framework for chattel slavery[3]. It was a critical step in the evolution of slavery from indentured servitude to a rigid, racialized institution[3].
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