Aug 21, 2022 | 17th Century, Law, Transcription
Laws/Ordinances Jamaica Slave Code: Laws Declaring Act (1664) “An Act declareing the Laws of England in force in this Island” About This document is one of several that shows how the structures of government were set, and in particular structures...
Aug 20, 2022 | 17th Century, Law, Transcription
Jamaica Jamaica Slave Code: Masters and Servants(1664) “An Act for the good Governing of Servants & ordering Rights betweene Masters & Servants” Managing the legal relationship between master and slave was an integral part of transitioning...
Aug 20, 2022 | 19th Century, Law, Transcription, United States
Kansas Prohibitions Kansas Prohibitions on Anti-Slavery Material and Ending Slavery (1850s) “Bleeding Kansas” is a pivotal event in U.S. history. The documents compiled here reflect the contentious developments that unfolded as residents attempted to settle Kansas,...
May 14, 2020 | 18th Century, Law, North America
Codifying Enslavement The Virginia Slave Code of 1705 As Virginia entered the new century, the legislature set out to make slavery law in a way it hadn’t before. The new law was the most detailed slave code the colony had produced yet, and would vastley...
Apr 30, 2020 | 17th Century, England, Law, Transcription
“Produce the Body” Habeas Corpus Act of 1679 With Charles II increasingly concentrating power in the hands of the monarchy, and English liberties seemingly at risk at every turn, Parliament takes the step to enshrine the right to the writ of habeas corpus...
Apr 30, 2020 | 17th Century, England, Law, Transcription
THE KING GONE An Act for Abolishing the Kingly Office (1649) Following the conclusion of the English Civil War and the execution of King Charles I, Parliament passed a law laying claim on the right to legislate on the institution of the monarch itself. Introduction ...
