was a slave classed as real or personal property?

A slave was classified as personal property under U.S. law, specifically through the institution of chattel slavery. This classification meant that slaves could be bought, sold, and owned like any other form of personal property. The legal system recognized enslaved individuals as assets that could be transferred in transactions, which dehumanized them and denied their basic rights. This distinction played a crucial role in the economic and social structures of slavery in the United States.