Final answer:
Social status in Virginia in 1619, following the arrival of the first Africans, was initially influenced by servitude status rather than race, with Africans and Europeans both able to earn their freedom and own land. However, a shift toward permanent enslavement of Africans occurred by the end of the 17th century, formalized by the Virginia Slave Codes of 1705.
Step-by-step explanation:
When the first Africans arrived in Virginia in 1619, social status was initially not defined by race or permanent servitude. These Africans, brought by a Dutch ship from Ndongo Angola, were initially treated as indentured servants, similar to their European counterparts, with the opportunity to earn their freedom after their service. They could own land, and some even became free landowners with servants of their own. However, as the colony's demand for labor grew, the status of Africans began to change. By the mid-1600s, policies began to emerge solidifying a system of lifelong servitude for Africans, transitioning into what would be recognized as racialized slavery. By 1705, the Virginia General Assembly passed the Slave Codes which completed the legal transformation of Africans into enslaved property, diverging sharply from the conditions of indentured European servants.
The early period of indentured servitude allowed some Africans to improve their conditions, forming families and communities. Despite their initial opportunities, they were not seen as equals to colonists or Native Americans. As the century progressed, the social landscape in Virginia and the Americas at large evolved towards a rigid racial hierarchy that would define the lives of Africans and their descendants for generations.