When were the first laws introduced against racism?
In 1134, there was a ruling in the English courts that said “English air is too sweet for a slave to breath.” This has been traditionally interpreted as slavery was out-lawed in England (not “you should kill slaves on site”, which I suppose is another possibility). This ruling would be used later as precedent that slavery and the slave trade should be abolished. It is the first implication of racial equality in English law. In the Magna Carta there is section that reads “if you borrow money from the jews…” which then goes on to identify the laws associated with money lending (the only trade jews were allowed to do at the time). This is essentially using the word “Jews” as a trade name like “Kleenex” or “Hoover”. But at the end of the paragraph, it says “if you borrow money from anyone else, the same rules apply.” This is a second legal / constitutional implication of equality with what were then racial / religious outsiders. Then there was the English Bill of Rights etc… And of cou
