The case of Re Tuchinge was the first judicial reference to a black person in a legal proceeding in 1624. The case involved the trial of a white man, Symon Tuchinge, for the illegal apprehension of a Spanish ship and the people aboard. Witness to the crime, John Phillip testifies against the defendant. The case mentions that John Phillip was christened in England, apparently justifying why his testimony was admissible in the court. The court mentioned that Phillip was a Negro; however, he was excluded from inferiority like other blacks because of his christening. This case is significant because it exemplifies how the baptism of blacks into the Christianity religion provided them with the privileges of a free person. Moreover, the legal system
