Barbados, Britain's First Slave Society (1661)

Before the Balloon: Barbados's 1661 slave code. Barbados became Britain's very first slave-society in 1661, composing a code that shaped slavery across the Atlantic. This short trailer and function describe the legal blueprint behind Washington Black's escape-- sugar, law, and empire-- in under a minute, along with sources and context.



Take a minute to see, then go deeper with the full story