Enslaved blacks could not own property
Legally considered property, slaves were not allowed to own property of their own. In South Carolina, there was an exception to the law stating slaves could own property with permission of their master. Anything necessary for their work, such as a boat, or livestock raised by them, could be seized by anyone, though only if the slave took it off the plantation, said the slaves.homestead.com. Sexual abuse of female slaves was, however, endemic in the colonies, “where cultural patriarchy treated women as property or chattel.” Plantation owners feared that allowing enslaved blacks to hold property will boost their self-esteem and empower them.
