Slave Revolts

The Slave Revolts or Rebellions numbered over two hundred and fifty from 1663

through 1860, however they accomplished very little in the way of earning slave

freedom. There were only a handful of major revolts and most of them ended in a

massacre of the revolting black slaves. This coupled with the ever stifling oppression and

brutality the slaves faced prevented any revolts from having a major impact on the

institution of slavery. The slave revolts were largely ineffective because of the total

oppression of the black slave, this oppression started with the various slave codes, that

stripped blacks of their freedom, dignity, and humanity, and these codes or laws almost

methodically became more stringent and brutal after each major revolt. The oppression for

slaves reached its peak with the Runaway Slave Act of 1850.

From as early as 1629 in Jamestown, Virginia, codes or laws were being passed that segregated, humiliated and oppressed the black slave in the new world. These early codes provided for punishment of a white man for fornificating with a black woman, to the servitude of a child until his is 31, that is born of a white mother and black or mulatto father. In addition, these early Jamestown codes also