Following the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade by Great Britain and the United States in the early 19th century, importing enslaved people became a capital offense. Despite this, a thriving illegal maritime trade persisted. Smugglers continued to transport captive Africans to the Americas via clandestine routes, directly violating international treaties and domestic laws. 3. Clandestine Literacy and Education
Forcing individuals to work in private homes under exploitative conditions, with limited or no freedom.
If you're looking for specific literature or scholarly articles on this topic, some key authors and works might include: skacat illegal aspects of legal slavery 18 best
The Shadow of the Gavel: Analyzing the Legal and Illegal Dimensions of Historical Slavery
: The use of the internet to exploit individuals, including through sexual abuse, online slavery, and forced digital labor. Following the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade
Even during the era of legal trading, maritime laws like the British Regulated Slave Trade Act of 1788 set strict legal limits on how many individuals a ship could transport based on its tonnage. Captains routinely broke these laws, over-packing hulls to maximize profits, which resulted in illegal levels of negligence and fatalities. 5. Torture and Excessive Corporal Punishment
Enslaved individuals frequently used covert means to resist their conditions. Because overt physical retaliation met swift execution, resistance often took the form of illegal workplace sabotage, tool destruction, arson, or the stealthy poisoning of food supplies. 12. Armed Rebellions and the Law of Treason Even during the era of legal trading, maritime
1. Violations of the Act Prohibiting Importation of Slaves (1808)
Statutes universally barred enslaved people from owning firearms, knives, or ammunition without written permission from their masters. However, out of necessity for hunting or self-defense against abusive overseers and wildlife, many enslaved people secretly maintained caches of weapons. Finding a hidden weapon in a slave cabin was treated as a severe crime, yet the practice remained widespread. 16. The Illegality of Self-Defense
Legally, enslaved people could not own property, sign contracts, or engage in independent commerce. Yet, a vibrant underground economy existed. Enslaved individuals grew their own crops in hidden patches, hunted, crafted goods, and traded with poor white laborers or free Black merchants. This illegal commerce allowed some enslaved people to amass small sums of money, which they occasionally used to purchase the freedom of themselves or their families. 10. Forgery and the Fabrication of Freedom Papers