Legal Rights and Government involvement with Slaves

Although their station was one of inferiority that left them vulnerable to mistreatment by masters, black men, and women, especially in New Amsterdam, enjoyed certain privileges that would later be denied enslaved blacks in America.Some slaves could also take their masters to court. Some slaves, such as Pedro Negretto, even won their cases and got granted certain rights.

During the Revolution groups of white and black members of society gathered saying that slavery was inhumane and did not agree with Christian ideals. There were lots of revolts and rebellions through 1619 and 1863. Most of the rebellions had been quite violent and most of the slaves that were freed had been caught again and forced back into slavery. The slaves thought that their voices were not being heard, but during these years many whites and free blacks started making antislavery groups that held protests that argued against slavery. In 1863 President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation which freed all slaves and abolished slavery in the United States.

According to the colony's 1705 law, all blacks, mulattoes, and Native Americans, or all non-Christian persons brought into the colonies as servants (even should they later convert to Christianity) were considered slaves. There were most likely some exceptions but for the more part this was the way things went.

17 different Presidents had slaves while in office. The President that had the most slaves was George Washington, supposedly having 317 slaves while he was in office. Other Presidents, such as Martin Van Buren, only had one slave and it was not when he was in office.

Slave Rights were first given by giving black laborers could to take their employers to court and, some of them won their cases. Also some Dutch courts occasionally granted black freedom. Throughout the years, slaves were rights like the 1717 Connecticut law that required aspiring black business owners to get official permission to open shop.