Apr 30, 2020 | 17th Century, England, Essay, Transcription
John Locke John Locke – An Essay on Reputation (1678) Locke was a prolific writer. Many of his works are familiar to many, even if by name only. This essay, however, stands as one of Locke’s lesser known writings. Yet, it speaks to how people can hold...
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, Correspondence, North America, Transcription
Bacon’s Rebellion Sir Thomas Grantham Letter to a Leader of Bacon’s Rebellion In 1676, the colony of Virginia was rocked by a large scale rebellion. Many issues were at play during this time, not the least of which being the authority of the governor over...
Apr 30, 2020 | 17th Century, England, Legal Case, Transcription
reMaking Slavery in the courts Butts v. Penny(1677) A foundational English Common Law case that defined slavery in England and its empire in the Americas, and to create mechanisms to enforce ownership and recover debts related to slave sales. It literally redefined...
Apr 30, 2020 | 17th Century, Barbados, Slave Code, Transcription
BARBADOS Barbados Slave Code(1661 – 1667) In 1661, Barbados became the first English colony to pass a comprehensive slave code. Below is the best version of it we have. The problem is that the only versions of it that survive date to 1667, when it had already...
Apr 30, 2020 | Transcription
CHARLES II Charles II Treason and Sedition Act (1661) With the restoration of Charles II to the throne of England, new laws were passed defining what it meant to go against the monarchy, vastly expanding the scope of what counted as treason and sedition. The new...
