Before the Balloon: Barbados's 1661 Slave Code
While the balloon rises in Washington Black, there is law. In 1661, Barbados codified goods slavery and ended up being Britain's first slave society. The Barbados Slave Code developed a legal blueprint that shaped the Atlantic world, normalising punishment, safeguarding planter residential or commercial property, and defining racial status in statute. Our brief trailer sets fiction versus realities, showing how sugar funded an empire while the law implemented its chains. We likewise highlight the connection to Halifax, Nova Scotia, and the daily individuals who lived within and pushed back versus the system. This function pairs the short video with clear, legible context and links to sources you can explore even more. If you desire the story behind the story, this is the location to begin: concise, grounded, and human. View the explainer and download the reading list. barbados history
