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Description of Las Siete Partidas

Las Siete Partidas, the Seven-Part Code, was a set of laws codied in medieval

Spain, some of which were crucial to the legal foundation of modern slavery inthe New World. The code, possily the most conse!uential and comprehensive

set of laws of the medieval period, was compiled in Castile etween "#$" and

"#%$ under &lfonso ' the Wise. The laws went into e(ect around ")*+ and

ecame the foundation for all Spanish urisprudence. eginning with Spanish

epansion in the siteenth century, the code spread to Spain/s New World

 possessions in the &mericas, &sia, and &frica, giving the code the widest territorial in0uence of any single legal code. The Siete Partidas protected

certain rights for enslaved individuals and provided a numer of legal channels

for manumission. Christian slaves were entitled to marry one another with the

masters/ permission, and masters were legally ound to grant permission

unless they could prove that the union posed a serious danger to their 

interests. 1asters were prohiited from ehiiting cruel treatment, including

separating families, ecessive physical punishment, starving slaves, or eploiting them seually. 1asters who did not aide y these laws could e

ta2en to court, and, if proven guilty, their slaves would e sold to another 

master or, in certain cases, manumitted. Slaves who displayed eceptional

service to a master or the state were eligile for manumission. Slaves were

legally permitted to ply a trade and to own property3 they had the legal right to

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earn, orrow, and lend money and to purchase their freedom or that of another.

Slaves were permitted to ring legal suits, testify in court, and organi4e

religious rotherhoods.