ABSTRACT
Slaves frequently broke laws in the early national United States as they sought to strike back against their oppressors or, perhaps more frequently, as they tried to provide for themselves and their families. The trial documents themselves show that slaves entered homes with the intention of stealing property, or that they received that property from others; that they either intended to use that property personally or tried to sell it on and convert the stolen goods into cash. The requirement that the Governor confirm all death sentences provided an opportunity for interested parties to petition for clemency. The owners of condemned slaves obviously had an interest in preserving the life of their slave because the compensation paid to the owners of executed slaves was rarely at the full market price. The trial records of slaves are evidence that whites tried to go through some semblance of due process, and that justice was not always summary.
