1804 Ind. Acts 108
Abstract
A Law Entitled a Law Respecting Slaves, § 4: Prohibited a "slave or mulatto" from carrying or possessing a gun, powder, shot, club or other weapon and ammunition.
Summary
These sections prohibit enslaved people and most free Black or mixed-race people from possessing weapons such as guns, ammunition, clubs, or other offensive or defensive arms. Weapons found in their possession could be confiscated, and enslaved violators could be whipped up to 39 lashes. Limited exceptions allowed certain free Black householders to keep one gun and permitted some Black residents on frontier plantations to possess weapons if they obtained a license from a local justice of the peace.
Law Text
§ 4th. And be it further enacted, That no slave or mulatto whatsoever, shall keep or carry any gun, powder, shot, club, or or other weapon whatsoever, offensive or defensive, but all and every gun weapon and ammunition found in the possession or custody of any negro or mulatto, may be seized by any person, and upon due proof thereof made before any justice of the peace of the district where fuch seizure shall-be, shall by his order be forfeited to the seizor, for his own use, and moreover every such offender offender shall have and receive by order of such justice any number lashes not exceeding thirty-nine on his or her bare back, well laid on for every such offence. § 5th. And be it further enacted, That every free negro or mulatto being a house keeper, may be permitted to keep one gun, powder and shot; and all negroes and mulattoes, bond or free, living at any frontier plantation, may be permitted to keep and use guns, powder, shot and weapons, offensive & defensive, by licence from a justice of peace of the district wherein such plantation lies, to be obtained upon the application of free negroes or mullatoes, or of the owners of such as are slaves.
Description
Categories
ENSLAVED PERSONS & OTHER MINORITIES