African Slaves - Family Life

• Slaves were encouraged to marry with their masters' consent and could not be forced to marry against their will, according to the French Black Code.
• By law, slave children could not be sold away from their parents until they were over age 12.
• The birth rate of black slaves in Illinois often exceeded the death rate, suggesting that these slaves lived a healthier life than many free peasants in France.

How do they compare? Native Americans | French Settlers | African Slaves

© Illinois State Museum 31-Dec-96