Write a paper comparing the legal dimensions of slavery in French and English colonies. The basis of the comparison will be the French Code Noir and the Virginia Slave Code of 1705, though students are encouraged to seek out other sources.

Points covered should include the following:

1. How was the legal status of the slave defined?

2. Who did the defining?

3.What assumptions were made about the nature of the slave population?

4. What are the key differences and similarities between the two codes?

5. How would you explain these?

6. What do the two codes tell us about the role of slavery in the Atlantic World?