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Articles in regional publications that pertain to a wide range of North Carolina-related topics.

North Carolina Slave Courts, 1715-1785

Record #:
21248
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Abstract:
A look at the origins and functionality of the slave courts in North Carolina between 1715 and 1785, an institution that reflected the desired slave behaviors as set by white slave owners, provides evidence of white society's fears of a disobedient slave population, and reveals the fears of the slaves themselves. Like in other British colonies, these courts were created to handle slave criminality beyond the scope of ordinary police regulations. They were designed to assure slaves a judicial hearing, to curtail the cost of a regular trial, and to expedite justice and reduce the loss of slave labor time.
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