Question
Which is true about slavery in the colonies? There were periodic slave revolts, but they all failed. Masters who killed slaves could be charged with murder. Slavery was legal in every colony except Rhode Island. Children born to slaves were set free when they became adults.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
Let's evaluate the statements about slavery in the colonies:
1. **There were periodic slave revolts, but they all failed**: This statement is generally true. There were uprisings, such as the Stono Rebellion in 1739, but most of these revolts were ultimately unsuccessful and resulted in harsh reprisals against enslaved people.
2. **Masters who killed slaves could be charged with murder**: This statement is misleading. While there were laws regarding the treatment of enslaved individuals, in many colonies, the legal system did not treat the killing of a slave as a murder charge. Enslaved people were often considered property, and the consequences for killing them were much less severe than for killing a free person.
3. **Slavery was legal in every colony except Rhode Island**: This statement is false. Slavery was legal in all thirteen colonies, including Rhode Island, though the extent and nature of slavery varied from colony to colony.
4. **Children born to slaves were set free when they became adults**: This statement is also false. In the colonies, children born to enslaved mothers were typically born into slavery themselves, following the principle of partus sequitur ventrem, meaning that their legal status followed that of the mother.
In summary, the first statement about the periodic revolts is true, while the other three statements are inaccurate or misleading.
1. **There were periodic slave revolts, but they all failed**: This statement is generally true. There were uprisings, such as the Stono Rebellion in 1739, but most of these revolts were ultimately unsuccessful and resulted in harsh reprisals against enslaved people.
2. **Masters who killed slaves could be charged with murder**: This statement is misleading. While there were laws regarding the treatment of enslaved individuals, in many colonies, the legal system did not treat the killing of a slave as a murder charge. Enslaved people were often considered property, and the consequences for killing them were much less severe than for killing a free person.
3. **Slavery was legal in every colony except Rhode Island**: This statement is false. Slavery was legal in all thirteen colonies, including Rhode Island, though the extent and nature of slavery varied from colony to colony.
4. **Children born to slaves were set free when they became adults**: This statement is also false. In the colonies, children born to enslaved mothers were typically born into slavery themselves, following the principle of partus sequitur ventrem, meaning that their legal status followed that of the mother.
In summary, the first statement about the periodic revolts is true, while the other three statements are inaccurate or misleading.