1789: The Jamaican Assembly enacted a severe law declaring that enslaved people attempting to leave the island could face the death penalty.

1789: The Jamaican Assembly enacted a severe law declaring that enslaved people attempting to leave the island could face the death penalty. This measure was part of a stepped-up effort through the late eighteenth century to stem the tide of out-migration to foreign colonies. Authorities also targeted free people of color who were suspected of abetting these unauthorized maritime escapes. Such judicial severity assumed that slaveowners could effectively compete with the sanctuary traditionally offered by Spanish priests and officials. These legal changes highlighted the mounting anxiety within British territories regarding the loss of valuable human property to rival empires.