Fugitive Slaves (1619-1865)McDougall, Marion Gleason
History
Fugitive Slaves (1619-1865)
McDougall, Marion Gleason
Fugitive slaves -- United States; Slavery -- Law and legislation -- United States
Again a case interesting not only as an illustration of the customs of
the time, but also because the fugitive himself bears a name known to
history in another connection, is noticed in the Boston Gazette of 1750.
Here is advertised as escaping, October 2, 1750, from his master, William
Browne of Framingham, Massachusetts, "A molatto fellow about twenty-seven
years of age, named Crispus." After describing his clothing and
appearance, a reward of ten pounds, old tenor, is offered for his return,
and "all masters of vessels and others are cautioned against concealing
said servant on penalty of law."[17] Tradition has it, however, that he
was never arrested, but returned of his own accord after a short time,
and was for the next twenty years a faithful servant.[18] Then, in 1770,
presumably while in town upon one of the expeditions he often undertook
to buy and sell cattle for his master, he was drawn into the Boston
Massacre of March 5.[19]
A somewhat famous case, which also occurred in Massachusetts, though many
years later, may here be mentioned. About 1769 one Rotch, a Quaker, and
therefore probably opposed to slavery, received on board the whaler
Friendship a young negro boy named Boston, belonging to the heirs of
William Swain. At the end of the voyage his master, John Swain, brought
action in the court of Nantucket against Captain Folger for the recovery
of the slave; the jury, whether from lack of evidence or from sympathy
cannot be determined, returned a verdict in favor of the defendant.[20]
[Sidenote: Dutch and Intercolonial Regulations.]
=§ 6. Dutch regulations in New Netherlands.=--The early New Netherlands
regulations furnish many interesting provisions concerning fugitive
servants. Apparently the servile class was numerous, and hard to govern.
In the words of the ordinance of 1640, "many servants daily run away from
their masters, whereby the latter are put to great inconvenience and
expense; the corn and tobacco rot in the field, and the whole harvest is
at a standstill, which tends to the serious injury of this country, to
their masters' ruin, and to bring the magistracy into contempt." It was
therefore ordained that runaways must, at the end of their term of
indenture, serve double the time of their absence, and make good all loss
and damage to their masters; while persons harboring fugitives were
obliged to pay a fine of fifty guilders.[21]
=§ 7. Escapes from New Amsterdam.=--Within these Dutch colonies there is
recorded a case of escape as early as 1659. Four menservants of Cornelis
Herperts de Jager, of New Amsterdam, ran away to Manhattan. One of them
soon returned, and in accordance with the regulation made in 1630 by the
West India Company,[22] requiring the return of fugitives in their
various settlements, one of the officers of the colony sent to Manhattan
an order to arrest and bring back the remaining three in chains.[23]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account