A1660 virginia law punished european servants who escaped with africans. what was the motive behind passing this law?

With this law, the General Assembly intended to keep servants and prevent slaves from fleeing.

Virginia had a rich economy based on tobacco. Slaves and servants made that economy possible and flourish. Servants signed contracts ( for almost 7 years some cases) and in return their masters provided them with food, clothing and lodging.

Even so, slaves sought comfort in running away as the working conditions were really harsh. Punishments were hard: the first time they were caught they had to double the time they were hired to. Second time, their masters could brand them in their skin.

But, after 10 years of this law, the burgesses admitted that it proved ineffectual as slaves and servants continue to run and escape.

Many years were going to pass by until servants' right started to be considered.

in his book, the riddle of the rosetta stone, james giblin talks about how there was a young british polymath and physician named thomas young who made a lot of advances on the deciphering of the rosetta stone. he says that even though young made a lot of mistakes because he was working under false assumptions, he also made huge contributions like deciphering three out of the seven symbols (more than anyone else before him). young published his findings and continued his good work but he wasn't able to progress much further due to some unfavorable situations, he still laid the basis for many other scholars and of course for the man who has been generally known to have deciphered it, jean-françois champollion

some american cities felt workers were being oppressed by business monopolies