By William Hotchkiss
William A. Hotchkisss article in question, titled Slaved Codes of the State of Georgia, 1848 is in itself a compilation of laws that were imposed on the African American people of Georgia in the year 1848. These laws addressed several topics, namely, crimes and penalties, prosecution of offenses, correction of errors, pardons, execution, and costs.
I found some of the laws to be appalling and susceptible to being misused in a corrupt society. For instance, Article I (Crimes, Offenses, and Penalties), Section I (Capital Offenses), No. 4 confers the punishment of slaves in the event that they strike a white individual. I am in utter dismay at the fact that-upon first offense-should a slave such as wound or bruise a white man, he or she suffers the consequence of death. Furthermore, Article I, Section II (Minor Offenses), No. 12 punishes a person of color for being taught to read by another individual. Coincidentally, the individual teaching the slavefree person of color to read (in all probability a white manwoman), suffers no consequences, although they were in actuality the perpetrators of the crime. Moreover, Article II (Prosecution of Offenses), Section III (Evidence), No. 41 raises the question of slaves having the privilege of testifying as an eye witness in court. Nowhere did it state that a slave could testify as a witness for or against a white man.
This article is imperative to understanding the full extent of the deprivation of civil liberty for African Americans during the time the text was produced. The injustice of the court system and maltreatment in the form of physical abuse (lashes as they referred to it) is evidence of a preceding uncivilized nation run by intolerant white men.
I found some of the laws to be appalling and susceptible to being misused in a corrupt society. For instance, Article I (Crimes, Offenses, and Penalties), Section I (Capital Offenses), No. 4 confers the punishment of slaves in the event that they strike a white individual. I am in utter dismay at the fact that-upon first offense-should a slave such as wound or bruise a white man, he or she suffers the consequence of death. Furthermore, Article I, Section II (Minor Offenses), No. 12 punishes a person of color for being taught to read by another individual. Coincidentally, the individual teaching the slavefree person of color to read (in all probability a white manwoman), suffers no consequences, although they were in actuality the perpetrators of the crime. Moreover, Article II (Prosecution of Offenses), Section III (Evidence), No. 41 raises the question of slaves having the privilege of testifying as an eye witness in court. Nowhere did it state that a slave could testify as a witness for or against a white man.
This article is imperative to understanding the full extent of the deprivation of civil liberty for African Americans during the time the text was produced. The injustice of the court system and maltreatment in the form of physical abuse (lashes as they referred to it) is evidence of a preceding uncivilized nation run by intolerant white men.
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