Some quick facts:
- Slaves could only be a witness to a crime if the crime was more severe than petty larceny and then only witness against another slave
- Killing or dismembering a Slave would bring the same punishment afforded as if he crime was against a white person, unless the killing or dismembering was in response to insurrection.
- Most of the punishments for whites or free mulettos socializing or attending meetings with slaves were cash forfeit, for the slaves, it was “stripes” or lashes from a whip.
- Slaves couldn’t own dogs or horses.
- “Cruel or unusual punishment” was prohibited on slaves
Let’s take this last line for sure. What exactly is “cruel and unusual” punishment? Whipping someone’s bare back with a whip not to exceed 39 times isn’t cruel? This shows a “non-human” mindset of those in favor of slavery, and it’s ok to whip your animals. That line was sarcastic to say the least. If slaves were the Master’s property, then why couldn’t they kill their slaves? There are many contradictions in the code as to what exactly they think of slave, are they human therefore equal? They bypass this question in paragraph 1.
The second paragraph was number 31, stating no person will teach a slave to read, spell, or write. Why would Master not want an educated Slave of whom could make better decisions? Probably because the slave would end up smarter than Master and outwit him. They were actually afraid of slaves education themselves, talking in more than 5 male slaves in a group (#37).
Deep down, I believe the proponents of slavery knew slavery was wrong and against what God taught in the bible. Many of the Southern plantation owners were “God-fearing” and knew the difference between right and wrong.
2 comments:
I am in agreement with you regarding the tell tale signs that there is possibly more going on than at first glance. I feel that the slave codes were more in line with completely de-moralizing the slaves. Today’s laws provide that no one should treat their animal with cruel or unusual punishment. But good point in noting that some of the punishments dealt by the law, would be by today’s standards considered cruel and unusual.
I also noticed that the punishment difference between the free white and the slaves was drastically different. But also it should be noted, these laws weren’t meant to harm the free man, just dissuade him from helping, listening, or doing any other act that would validate or humanize the slaves.
This comment was left by Chandra Benitez.
I would have to agree with both of the statements made in the blog as well as the comment. The Slave codes did not only establish ways to treat them but as well as the White slave owners to act around them in an everyday life. Cruel and unusual punishment also stood out to me in the since that so many cases in the judicial system have been taking place since the War on Terror. The eighth amendment involving cruel and unusual Punishment has been taking place under our noises and it has been a problem since slavery.
Guantanamo Bay holds prisoners of war and them treat these people beyond cruel. Many people who are taken there do not even have full proof that they have done anything to deserve the imprisonment. Slaves where in the same situation, so truthfully did the slave codes and cruel and unusual punishment change?
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