Interpret the Evidence and Put It in Context

1. Why did Virginia lawmakers decide that slave status should pass through the mother’s (rather than father’s) line and would be unaffected by baptism (Document 3.5)?

2. What do the descriptions of slave life and labor by Joseph Ball and Richard Corbin reveal about the attitudes of Virginia planters toward enslaved workers (Documents 3.6 and 3.8)?

3. How does the engraving (Document 3.7) portray the roles of planters, managers, and enslaved workers? What are the most notable differences between the black and white figures in this image?

4. What issues about slave life on a tobacco plantation are raised by Lieutenant Governor William Gooch (Document 3.9), and how do they compare with the image presented in the engraving (Document 3.7) and the writings by planters (Documents 3.6 and 3.8)?