The Beginnings of Slavery

Slavery in America began more than 400 years ago. While Ohio was a free state and no enslaved people lived here at Spring Hill, the institution of slavery shaped every part of the nation’s story—including the choices made here.

In 1619, about 20 Africans arrived in Virginia. At first, some may have been treated as indentured servants, but very quickly, slavery hardened into a system of lifelong, hereditary bondage. By the mid-1600s, colonies like Massachusetts and Virginia passed laws making slavery permanent, inherited through the mother, and defined people of African descent as property.

By 1705, Virginia’s Slave Code went so far as to declare all enslaved people “real estate.” Slaves could be beaten, sold, and even killed without legal consequence for their owners. Other colonies banned interracial marriage and restricted free Black people from owning property or even worshiping freely.

But there were also early challenges. In 1758, Pennsylvania’s Quakers forbade their members from owning slaves. By 1777, Vermont banned slavery outright, and other Northern states slowly followed with gradual emancipation laws. Yet, emancipation was not immediate—some enslaved people remained in bondage for decades, even in so-called “free” states.

Thought Prompt:
As you begin your tour, consider this—how do laws and institutions shape what a society accepts as “normal”? What does it take for people to question and challenge those norms?