The Virginia Slave Law of 1662 enabled what is called “hereditary slavery.” This meant that a child born to a slave, would inherit the slave status, and in other words, become a “servant for life.” A huge reason for creating this law was to “enslave the increasing number of children fathered by white men.” Mothers placed in this predictament ultimately wanted better for their kids, they wanted freedom. In order to acquire this, many enslaved mothers would risk their freedom, so their children could be free… a true act of a mother’s love. In Harriet Ann Jacob’s autobiography, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Harriet is an enslaved mother who runs away from the plantation and spends almost seven years hiding in a minuscule attic so her
