“Ummm, what definition of ‘the North’ incorporates Virginia?
“
Who is talking about Virginia? That story is from Connecticut.
Jim Crow was everywhere...for instance:
“In 1800 the vote of a single black-dominated ward had won control of New York City for the Federalists, and again in 1813 the votes of three hundred free blacks in New York City swept the Federalists into power, and gave them control of the State legislature. The Democrats took their revenge in 1821, when the new State constitution effectively disenfranchised almost every black voter in New York by requiring that they prove that they owned at least two hundred fifty dollars’ worth of property, a restriction not imposed on whites. In 1821 the triumphant Democrats changed the New York State constitution to enfranchise all white males, while erecting barriers to black male voters, so that by 1825 fewer than three hundred blacks out of a total State population of almost thirty thousand, and only sixteen of New York City’s more than twelve thousand blacks could actually vote.”
(Bound For Canaan, Fergus M. Bordewich, HarperCollins, 2005, page 149.)
Time for the Yankees (and I was born in New Jersey) to get off their racial high horse...
The first slave (as opposed to indentured servant who would work for a period until repaying their passage and gaining their freedom) was John Casor.
It was a Northhampton county court that ruled John Casor could be held in servitude "for the duration of his life". He was the first slave, and he in fact owned by a black man (Anthony Johnson, formerly an indentured servant himself). Because he was black the court decided he didn't have the rights of an English subject under common law. It was the beginning of black slavery in the U.S. The Virginia legislature codified slavery not long after.