Records of the Court of assistants of the colony of the Massachusetts bay, 1630-1692

By Massachusetts Colony Court of Assistants

Subjects: Sources, Law reports, digests, Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775, History, Massachusetts

Description: Compiled daily lists of court appearances in Massachusetts Bay Court of Assistants, each having a one- or two-sentence description stating who appeared on what charge before which judge, and what was the final judgment. Entries do not state whether a person broke a MA colony law or a British law. A valuable tool for American History, legal, and genealogy researchers, students, and history buffs. The infractions give insight to MA lifestyle, public "code of conduct,' and the legal system. Example infractions include of dancing, drunkeness, and public disrespect. While reading this, keep in mind the following: 1) MA granted slaves (aka "servants") rights in the early 1600s while providing protection to slaveholders. (MA abolished slavery by the time of the American Revolution before the other colonies). 2) MA is Britain's oldest American colony. 3) During these years, the British empire was expanding into Africa, the Caribbean, and North America. Two 1643 incidents demonstrate MA's precarious stance with slaves. A) Two free white men punished for concealing a servant's intention to run away. (One later hid him.) [Edward Waldo.] B) Servant James Riddway successfully sued his owner's estate for payment of "one year's provisions." Nothing clearly indicates that situations are consistently described with the same terms and phrases throughout the years.