On May 10, 1740, the colony of South Carolina’s General Assembly enacted the “Bill for the better ordering and governing of Negroes and other slaves in this province,” also known as the Negro Act of 1740.
The law prohibited enslaved African people from growing their own food, learning to read, moving freely, assembling in groups, and earning money. It also authorized white enslavers to whip and kill enslaved Africans for being “rebellious.” [Read more…] about The Stono Rebellion, The Negro Act of 1740 & New York City