The True Legacy of Stono: How the Stono Rebellion of 1739 Changed South Carolina

Most of the research surrounding South Carolina’s Stono Slave Rebellion revolves around the planning and execution of the rebellion, the motivation of the slaves that chose to participate in the rebellion, and the immediate response of white slaveowners to the rebellion. Conversely, my research focuses on the long-term impact of the rebellion on the institution of slavery in South Carolina. Over the course of my research, I have explored the impact that the rebellion had on South Carolina slaveholders and lawmakers. I argue that the Stono Rebellion generated a fear response among whites in South Carolina that led to the passage of several laws by the South Carolina Commons House of Assembly. These laws resulted in significant changes being made to the system of slavery in South Carolina. Among the most important of these changes was the Slave Code of 1740, a set of laws that severely restricted the actions and movements of enslaved individuals. This set of laws stood mostly unaltered until the American Civil War, affecting generations of enslaved individuals in South Carolina. I am proposing that such laws are the true legacy of the Stono Rebellion.