Canvas by Lucille Laidlaw

llaidlaw2026 — 2024-01-28 19:01:49 UTC

In the early 1600's in Jamestown, people were not divided by their skin color. Rather they were divided by the amount of money and property they had. Rich European land owners had both black and white and indentured servants. These servants were primarily used to grow and process tobacco and some of them were able to buy their freedom. For those who were free, they needed to find land, however all the good land was already owned by the rich Europeans. This made the frontiersmen angry. In 1676 they decided to fight back.

llaidlaw2026 — 2024-01-28 19:02:14 UTC

Nathaniel Bacon was born an aristocrat but he squandered all of his money. He became the leader for the angry frontiersmen and he lead a rebellion, killing natives for their land and fighting the rich land owners. The frontiersman set fire to Jamestown and killed many.

llaidlaw2026 — 2024-01-28 19:02:32 UTC

William Berkeley, who was the colonial governor of Virginia wanted to make sure something like this rebellion never happened again. He had to find a way to separate the poor because there was simply too many of them. In 1681 he did this by enacting a law that used the word "white" for the first time. This law stated that any white person that married a person of color would be banished from Virginia forever.

llaidlaw2026 — 2024-01-28 19:02:56 UTC

In 1705 the Virginia legislature began creating more and more laws to separate races. These laws were called "The Virginia Slave Codes". These new laws stated that all Negros Mulattos and Indians would now be considered "property" of slaveowners.

Early Jamestown

llaidlaw2026 — 2024-01-28 19:05:24 UTC

Bacon's Rebellion

llaidlaw2026 — 2024-01-28 19:05:52 UTC

Race Becomes a Concept

llaidlaw2026 — 2024-01-28 19:06:34 UTC

The Virginia Slave Codes

llaidlaw2026 — 2024-01-28 19:07:03 UTC