New York Tightens Slave Codes After 1712 Revolt

Following the 1712 revolt, New York enacted laws making manumission nearly impossible by requiring freed people's former enslavers to pay a £200 bond and £20 per year annuity. The laws also restricted enslaved people from gathering in groups of more than three. Fear of rebellion was used to justify permanent restrictions on all Black New Yorkers, free and enslaved.