iced ▁art isan ▁tr ades , ▁and ▁some ▁acquired ▁educ ations ▁and ▁property . ▁ ▁Grad ually ▁in ▁the ▁English ▁colon ies , ▁sla very ▁became ▁known ▁as ▁a ▁ra cial ▁cas te ▁that ▁generally ▁en comp ass ed ▁all ▁people ▁of ▁African ▁descent , ▁even ▁if ▁mixed ▁race . ▁From ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁century , ▁Virginia ▁defined ▁all ▁children ▁born ▁to ▁ens la ved ▁moth ers ▁as ▁born ▁into ▁sla very , ▁regardless ▁of ▁their ▁father ' s ▁ancest ry . ▁Similarly , ▁Virginia ▁denied ▁that ▁converting ▁a ▁slave ▁to ▁Christian ity ▁was ▁grounds ▁for ▁freedom . ▁Even ▁free ▁people ▁of ▁color ▁or ▁mixed - race ▁( known ▁as ▁mul atto es ) ▁were ▁restricted ▁in ▁their ▁rights , ▁especially ▁as ▁colon ies ▁passed ▁har sh er ▁laws ▁after ▁early ▁slave ▁revol ts . ▁During ▁the ▁centuries ▁of ▁sla very ▁in ▁the ▁British ▁colon ies , ▁many ▁slaves ▁were ▁of ▁mixed - race ▁ancest ry . ▁ ▁S lave ▁re bell ions ▁Col onial ▁slave ▁re bell ions ▁before ▁ 1 7 7 6 , ▁or ▁before ▁ 1 8 0 1 ▁for ▁Louisiana , ▁include : ▁San ▁Miguel ▁de ▁G ual da pe ▁( 1 5 2 6 ) ▁Gl ouc ester ▁County , ▁Virginia ▁Revol t ▁( 1 6 6 3 ) ▁New ▁York ▁S lave ▁Revol t ▁of ▁ 1 7 1 2 ▁S amba ▁Reb ell ion ▁( 1 7 3 1 ) ▁St ono ▁Reb ell ion ▁( 1 7 3 9 ) ▁New ▁York