John Punch | The First Man Sentenced to Slavery for Life in America (1640)

The history of legalized slavery in America: John Punch was an enslaved African who lived in the colony of Virginia. Thought to have been an indentured servant, John attempted to escape to Maryland where he was arrested and was sentenced in July 1640 by the Virginia Governor's Council to serve as a slave for the remainder of his life. His white associates who committed the same crimes were sentenced to indentured servitude. In 2023, people in the United States are still being legally enslaved by

The Price of Principle: The Tragedy of John Garfield