In 1704, South Carolina established the first formal slave patrols, requiring white men to police enslaved populations and suppress potential rebellions. This system of patrols was a response to growing fears of slave uprisings and played a crucial role in maintaining the institution of slavery. The creation of slave patrols marked a significant development in the enforcement of racial control and the legal framework surrounding slavery in colonial America.

These patrols entrenched racial control that shaped African American literary traditions, from slave narratives to protest poetry by figures like Phillis Wheatley and later Harlem Renaissance voices decrying systemic oppression, influencing the evolution of resistance literature.