Although slaves were an important part of the new growing economy of america, it also created racial bias we still see today.
1696: Virginia passed laws that would place Native Americans and Africans into one racial category that was identified as “negroes and other slaves.” 1696: South Carolina adopted a law from Barbados saying that slave owners need only provide slaves with clothing -- no other provisions were required of owners under Common English Law Virginia Slave Codes of 1705 that codified the status of slaves as property and gave specific rights to owners Laws that allowed slave owners to kill slaves without any legal punishment only supported these viewpoints Ely Patrick, an historian, claims that there were specific laws against tutoring black laborers The ongoing struggle for civil rights for African-Americans -- including the right to vote and access to education -- that continues even today, is largely the consequence of slavery that started in the 1600s