Negro Act of 1740
May 10, 1740 · Early Modern
The South Carolina General Assembly enacted the Negro Act on May 10, 1740, in direct response to the Stono Rebellion of 1739. The legislation classified enslaved people as property, prohibited them from assembling, growing food, earning money, or learning to write, and restricted manumission by requiring legislative approval. It mandated militia patrol service and permitted slaveholders to kill enslaved people who resisted authority. The act served as a model for slave codes adopted across British colonies and remained in effect until 1865.
Key Figures
William Bull Sr.
Locations
Charles Town
Topics
Slaveryslave codesColonial South CarolinaStono Rebellionanti-literacy lawsracial legislation
Connected Events — 2 Connections
The Negro Act established a legal framework treating enslaved people as property and restricting their movement, creating precedent for federal fugitive slave legislation including the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 Fugitive Slave Act
The Stono Rebellion of 1739 directly prompted the South Carolina legislature to draft and pass the Negro Act, imposing sweeping restrictions on enslaved people to prevent future uprisings Stono Rebellion
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