A difference between english law and the laws affecting slaves in virginia was that under english law:

The social condition of a father determined that of his child.

This largely stemmed from the fact that laws passed in colonial America increasingly defined social status by race. It was aimed at maintaining the social conditions and prevent the slaves from empowerment so as to preserve the institution of slavery

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Explanation:

English laws were made just to affect the white ones who ived in the coloni, slaves were considered neither people nor animals, they were considered and treated less than animals. Specially bcause officially there were no slavery in England.

Lots of slaves arrived in Virginia in 1625, 23 slaves, until 1775 there were 210.000. Lots of laws were approved for slaves ...