The slave-owning colonies had laws governing the control
and punishment of slaves which were known as slave
codes .
[45] South Carolina established its slave code in
1712, based on the 1688 English slave code in Barbados .


The South Carolina slave code was a model for other North
American colonies. In 1770, Georgia adopted the South
Carolina slave code and Florida adopted the Georgia
code. [45] The 1712 South Carolina slave code included the
following provisions: [45]

Slaves were forbidden to leave the owner's property
unless accompanied by a white person, or with permission.
If a slave left the owner's property without permission,
"every white person" was required to chastise them.

Any slave attempting to run away and leave the colony
(later, the state) received the death penalty by hanging, decapitation, whipping, shooting.

Any slave who evaded capture for 20 days or more was
to be publicly whipped for the first offense; branded with an
"R" on the right cheek on the second offense; lose one ear
if absent for thirty days on the third offense, and castrated
on the fourth offense.

Owners refusing to abide by the slave code were fined
and forfeited their slaves.

Slave homes were searched every two weeks for
weapons or stolen goods. Punishment escalated from loss
of an ear, branding and nose-slitting to death on the fourth
offense.

No slave could work for pay; plant corn, peas or rice;
keep hogs, cattle, or horses; own or operate a boat; buy or
sell, or wear clothes finer than "Negro cloth".

The South Carolina slave code was revised in 1739, with
the following amendments: [45]

No slave could be taught to write, work on Sunday, or
work more than 15 hours per day in summer and 14 hours
in winter.

The willful killing of a slave was fined £700, and
"passion" killing £350.

The fine for concealing runaway slaves was $1,000 and a
prison sentence up to one year.

A fine of $100 and six months in prison were imposed
for employing a freeman or slave as a clerk.

A fine of $100 and six months in prison were imposed
for selling (or giving) alcoholic beverages to slaves.


A fine of $100 and six months in prison were imposed
for teaching a slave to read and write; the death penalty
was imposed for circulating incendiary literature.
Freeing a slave was forbidden except by deed
(after
1820, only by permission of the legislature; Georgia required
legislative approval after 1801).

The slave codes in the tobacco colonies (Delaware,
Maryland, North Carolina and Virginia) were modeled on the
Virginia code, established in 1667. [45] The 1682 Virginia
code included the following provisions:
Slaves were prohibited from possessing weapons.

Slaves were prohibited from leaving their owner's
plantation without permission.

Slaves were prohibited from attacking a white person,
even in self-defense.

A runaway slave, refusing to surrender, should be killed
without penalty.