What were slave codes?

Slaves were prohibited from leaving their owner's plantations without permission. Slaves were prohibited from lifting a hand against a white person even in self-defense. A runaway slave refusing to surrender could be killed without penalty. District of Columbia slave codes. Slaves were a common sight in the nation's capital. read more

Slave code, in U.S. history, any of the set of rules based on the concept that slaves were property, not persons. Inherent in the institution of slavery were certain social controls, which slave owners amplified with laws to protect not only the property but also the property owner from the danger of slave violence. read more