From the 17th century, Virginia and other colonies passed laws determining the social status of children born in the colonies. Under the common law system in the colonies, children took the status of the father when it came to legal matters. To settle the issue of the status of children born in the colony, the Virginian House of Burgesses passed a law in 1662 that ruled that children would take the status of their mother at birth, under the Roman legal principle known as partus sequitur ventrem. Thus all children born to enslaved mothers were legally slaves, regardless of the paternity or ancestry of their fathers. They were bound for life and could be sold like any slave unless formally freed.
FRoM ThE 17Th cEntUrY virginia ANd othEr ColOnIes pASseD LAws determining The socIal stAtUs oF ChildreN Born in THe ColonIeS uNdeR THe comMon law syStEm In The coLoniEs chiLDReN toOk ThE StatUs of the father whEn IT CAme to lEGaL maTTeRS To Settle ThE issue oF ThE sTAtus of cHIldRen born in tHe coloNY thE vIrGinIan hoUSE OF BurgeSses passed A LAw in 1662 ThAT rulEd ThaT ChIlDren wOulD take thE stATuS Of their motHeR at birTh uNdEr thE roman legaL princIple knOWn As parTuS seQUitur vEntRem tHUs All CHiLDREN boRn to eNslaved mothErS weRe Legally slAvEs reGardleSS oF tHe paTerNitY or aNcestRy of their fatherS thEy wEre bound FOR LifE anD cOuLd Be sOLd like any slAVe unleSs formally freEd