The chattel form of slavery which was very common during 1700 primarily referred to the type of slavery where a person was owned forever, and all his children and descendants automatically became the property of his master. The two main events that occurred in the British occupied areas contributed to the ideological development of the chattel slavery took place in Barbados and South Carolina. The Barbadian slave code of 1661 was the first legal base for slavery set by the British in the Caribbean. The law was later adopted in South Carolina in 1696. The code held that the slaves were to be considered to be freehold property and this implied that such individuals could not be sold or moved out of the estate. In South Carolina, similar ideas of the Barbadian Americans were adopted; however, the slaves were reduced to chattel giving the enslaver total control and absolute ownership. The slaves could, therefore, be sold like any other property and the condition of their children also remained the same. The emergence of chattel slavery can, however, be attributed to the origin of racism before 1700.

After the introduction of the chattel slave codes by the British, the Africans were reduced to worthless beings who could be sold and exchanged with other valuables, and this contributed to the notion of racism. After the legalization of the slave trade in most of the European colonies, the African slaves were sold from one master to another. They were expected to assist in doing various menial jobs such as working in the plantations and the homes of their enslavers without getting paid. They were also subjected to different forms of hardships such as torture, lack of proper meals, rest and pain. As a result of these actions of slavery, most of the Europeans were convinced that the Africans were less superior beings who were not worthy of anything positive in the society and this contributed to the growing notion of racism before 1700.

As a result of the total control and ownership that was given to the European enslavers over the African slaves by the chattel slave codes, most Europeans were convinced that Africans were not capable of any form of leadership hence promoting racism. As the enslavers, the Europeans had the powers to give orders to their African slaves, they also made all the decisions on their behalf, and this created the notion that the blacks were incapable of making any decision on their own and they’re unsuitable of leadership. The Europeans were convinced that they were the most superior race on earth and therefore deserved to dominate over others.

Chattel slavery also promoted hatred between the slaves and their enslavers, and this supported the existence of racism during this time. As a result of the inhuman forms of treatment that were accorded to the African slaves by their European counterparts. Most of the slaves hated their masters, and in many cases, they organized for revolts against them while seeking for their freedom, and during such cases, many African slaves and some European enslavers were killed, and this intensified the hatred between the blacks and the whites before 1700.

The existence of the chattel form of slavery is therefore attributed as one of the greatest influencers of racism before 1700, and this is because of the role that it played in creating the awareness of racial differences between the African slaves and the European enslavers. Some of the ways the chattel form of slavery influenced racism were the creation of hatred, manifestation of the white superiority and conviction that Africans were worthless beings.

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