The Sequel of Appomattox: A Chronicle of the Reunion of the States — John Shaqi
The Sequel of Appomattox: A Chronicle of the Reunion of the StatesFleming, Walter L. (Walter Lynwood)
History
The Sequel of Appomattox: A Chronicle of the Reunion of the States
Fleming, Walter L. (Walter Lynwood)
Reconstruction (U.S. history, 1865-1877); United States -- History -- 1865-1898
But the laws relating to apprenticeship, vagrancy, and enforced punitive
employment turned out to be of greater practical importance. On these
subjects the legislation of Mississippi and South Carolina was the most
extreme. In Mississippi negro orphans were to be bound out, preferably
to a former master, if "he or she shall be a suitable person." The
master was given the usual control over apprentices and was bound by the
usual duties, including that of teaching the apprentice. But the
penalties for "enticing away" apprentices were severe. The South
Carolina statute was not essentially different. The vagrancy laws of
these two States were in the main the same for both races, but in
Mississippi the definition of vagrancy was enlarged to include negroes
not at work, those "found unlawfully assembling themselves together,"
and "all white persons assembling themselves with freedmen." It is to be
noted that nearly all punishment for petty offenses took the form of
hiring out, preferably to the former master or employer. The principal
petty offenses were, it would seem, vagrancy and "enticing away"
laborers or apprentices. The South Carolina statute contains some other
interesting provisions. A negro, man or woman, who had enjoyed the
companionship of two or more spouses, must by April 1, 1866, select one
of them as a permanent partner; a farm laborer must "rise at dawn," feed
the animals, care for the property, be quiet and orderly, and "retire at
reasonable hours"; on Sunday the servants must take turns in doing the
necessary work, and they must be respectful and civil to the "master and
his family, guests, and agents"; to engage in skilled labor the negro
must obtain a license. Whipping and the pillory were permitted in
Florida for certain offenses, and in South Carolina the master might
"moderately correct" servants under eighteen years of age. Other
punishments were generally the same for both races, except the hiring
out for petty offenses.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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