#AP African American Studies: The Night Before Review 🚀

Hey! Let's get you feeling super confident for tomorrow. We're going to break down the key stuff, make it easy to remember, and tackle those tricky questions. No stress, just focused review. Let's do this! 💪

#🏛️ Slavery and American Law: Foundations of Inequality

#📜 Constitutional Underpinnings

The U.S. Constitution, while not explicitly using the words "slave" or "slavery," contained provisions that protected and perpetuated the institution. 🤯
- Three-Fifths Compromise (Article I, Section 2): Enslaved people counted as ⅗ of a person for representation and taxation. This boosted the political power of slaveholding states. ⚖️
- Fugitive Slave Clause (Article IV, Section 2): Required states to return escaped enslaved people to their enslavers, even if they fled to a free state. This made the entire nation complicit in slavery. 🏃🏾‍♀️

Key Concept

These clauses show how slavery was embedded in the nation's foundation, even as some framers tried to avoid explicit mention.

#📜 Slave Codes in the Americas

Slave codes were sets of laws that defined enslaved people as property, not human beings. They were designed to control and oppress. 😠
- Key Features:
  - Denied basic human rights and legal protections. 🚫
  - Prohibited literacy, gatherings, weapon possession, and certain clothing. 📚 🪖 👗
  - Harsh punishments for violations, including whipping, branding, and death. 💀

Quick Fact

Variations existed across the Americas (e.g., Code Noir in French colonies, Código Negro in Spanish colonies), but all aimed to maintain white supremacy.

#⚖️ Race-Based Legal Restrictions

Laws and codes created a racial hierarchy, granting privileges to white people while denying them to Black individuals. 😠
- Examples:
  - Limited access to education, skilled trades, and property ownership. 🎓 🛠️ 🏡
  - Prohibited interracial marriages and relationships. 💔
  - Denied the right to testify against white people in court. 🧑🏾‍⚖️

Common Mistake

Don't forget that these restrictions were designed to limit upward mobility and maintain control.

#🚫 Free State Discrimination Laws

Even in "free" states, Black people faced discrimination and restrictions. 😒
- Examples:
  - Laws barring free African Americans from entering or settling in the state. 🚪
  - Voting restrictions (e.g., property ownership requirements). 🗳️
  - Prohibitions against testifying against white people in court. 🧑🏾‍⚖️

Quick Fact

Only Wisconsin and Iowa granted Black men the right to vote before the 15th Amendment.

#✊ Slave Code Responses to Resistance

Slave codes were not static; they evolved in response to acts of resistance. 💡
- Example:
  - The Stono Rebellion (1739) led to harsher restrictions in South Carolina, including bans on drumming and assembly. 🥁
  - Increased patrols and surveillance to suppress resistance. 👮🏾

Exam Tip

Remember that resistance was a constant factor in shaping slave laws.

#📜 South Carolina's 1740 Slave Code

A particularly harsh example of slave codes, demonstrating the extent of control enslavers sought. 😠

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Slavery and American Law: Slave Codes and Landmark Cases

Maya Hall