How did the legal status of enslaved Africans change in the British colonies during the mid-to-late 17th century?
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Correct answer: Laws were passed so a child's legal status followed that of the mother
Known as 'partus sequitur ventrem,' these laws made slavery a hereditary condition based on the mother's status. This ensured a self-sustaining labor force and differentiated chattel slavery from temporary indentured servitude.
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