Question

What was the reasoning for Georgia Legislature to have Slave Laws?

Answer 1

Answer: in part due to George Whitefield's support for the institution of slavery.

Explanation: The colony of the Province of Georgia under James Oglethorpe banned slavery in 1735, the only one of the thirteen colonies to have done so. However, it was legalized by royal decree in 1751, in part due to George Whitefield's support for the institution of slavery.

Answer 2

Long Answer: The economic and social rationale for slavery in the state served as the basis for the Georgia Legislature's adoption of slave legislation. Georgia was predominantly an agricultural civilization in the 18th and 19th centuries, and it made extensive use of slave labor to work on plantations and farms. The institution of slavery was viewed as essential to preserving the state's agricultural economy and serving as a source of inexpensive labor. The ideology of white supremacy and the notion that Black people were inferior and required control were also widely held beliefs in Georgia. The slave laws that were developed to govern and manage the population of enslaved people reflected these sentiments. The rules were applied to punish anyone who sought to flee or fight their servitude as well as to legitimize the forced work of slaves.

Short Answer: The main reason for the Georgia Legislature to have slave laws was to justify and regulate the forced labor of enslaved people to maintain the state's agricultural economy and uphold the white supremacist attitudes of the time.