jul 9, 1643 - Legal Enslavement under Criminal Law
Description:
John Punch, a Black indentured servant to farmer Hugh Gwyn, escaped Gwyn's farm, along with two white indentured servants. After being captured, all three were put on trial in Jamestown, Virginia. They each received thirty lashes. As further punishment, the judge added four years to the white servants' sentences. Punch, on the other hand, was sentenced to serve as a slave for the remainder of his life. John Punch is the first person to be legally enslaved in America under criminal law.Added to timeline:
Date:
jul 9, 1643
Now
~ 383 years ago