Seventeenth-century Virginia law decoupled Christian conversion from slave emancipation

Evidence

The colonies moved quickly to legalize the proselytizing demands of missionaries like Richard Baxter, and to hush the freedom cries from Christian slaves. In 1667, Virginia decreed that “the conferring of baptisme doth not alter the condition of the person as to his bondage.” New York did the same in 1664, as did Maryland in 1671. — Ibram X. Kendi, Stamped from the Beginning, 116 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

While converting enslaved Africans to Protestantism was deemed necessary to civilize them, their race was considered too indelibly inferior to deserve liberty. As far back as 1667, Virginia passed a law stating, “It is enacted that baptism does not alter the condition of the person as to his bondage or freedom.” South Carolina followed suit in 1690 when it legally prohibited a slave from becoming free on conversion to Christianity. — Sahar F. Aziz, The Racial Muslim, 224 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Early Virginia law ruled that slave conversion did not grant freedom; Colonial laws decreed baptism did not free enslaved converts — Ibram X. Kendi, Stamped from the Beginning: The…, 116; Colonial laws explicitly declared that Christian conversion did not free enslaved people — Sahar F. Aziz, The Racial Muslim: When Racism Quashes…, 224 (+2 more)

Broader Connections

• Early Virginia law ruled that slave conversion did not grant freedom #corroborates (1.00)
• Colonial laws decreed baptism did not free enslaved converts #corroborates (1.00) — Ibram X. Kendi, Stamped from the Beginning, 116
• Colonial laws explicitly declared that Christian conversion did not free enslaved people #corroborates (1.00) — Sahar F. Aziz, The Racial Muslim, 224
• Virginia’s racial slave laws were hardening into segregationist form by 1770 #expands (0.72) — Ibram X. Kendi, Stamped from the Beginning, 230