The paucity of research done on slave patrols is seemingly out of. A brief history of slavery in kentucky and timeline are included to provide context. Slave patrols and the origins of the police in america. Slave patrols studies the roots, rules, procedures, progress, disintegration and legacy of southern slave patrols in virginia and the carolinas in the 18th and 19th centuries. Dissolution of slave patrols the united states of our comments to the world.
American police practices based on slave patrols nation. The genesis of the modern police organization in the south is the slave patrol platt 1982. For 150 years, from 1704 to 1865, slave patrols were a legally sanctioned law enforcement system in america. In other southern states, slave patrols came about from colonial or state government legislation. From slave patrols to police departments community alliance. Their owners had to provide money to pay for their transportation out of kentucky, and one years subsistence. These were organized groups of armed, white men who monitored and enforced discipline upon black slaves in antebellum u.
Slaves and the slave patrol an incident in austin steward, twentytwo years a slave, and forty years a freeman, 1857 austin steward, who escaped from slavery in 18, relates an incident in which about forty slaves attended a dance at a neighboring plantation without passes from their slaveholder. Here we see how the patrols, formed by county courts and state militias, were the closest enforcers of codes governing slaves throughout the south. The patrol consisted of roving bands of armed white citizens who. Slave patrols first emerged in south carolina in the early 1700s, but historical documents also identify the existence of slave patrols in most other parts of the southern region refer to the reichel article included at the end of this section. What emerges from this indepth two hour program is a portrait of a slave society constantly on the brink of disorder. Institutional racism in policing is not a new development, but militarization is. Slave patrols traditionally known as patrollers, patterrollers, pattyrollers or paddy rollers by enslaved persons of african descentwere organized groups of. Some slave holders also paid enslaved laborers when they surpassed their daily work quotas.
Patterollers, patty rollers, and paddy rollers were synonymous terms used by the slaves. Margaret garner called peggy was an enslaved africanamerican woman in precivil war america who killed her own daughter rather than allowing the child to be returned to slavery. They also pre vented blacks from gathering unless members of a slave patrol or the police were present. In 1757, the georgia colonial assembly passed an act for establishing and regulating of patrols, which required white citizens to serve. As local governments broke down and regular slave patrols became unreliable, many owners turned to confederate guerrillas, who ruthlessly helped them maintain slavery. In the southern states the development of american policing followed a different path. The wpa and the slave narrative collection an introduction. The slave patrols emerged from a combination of the night watch, used in northern colonies, and the barbadian slave code initially employed by barbadians settlers in south carolina in the early 1700s. Jun 02, 2020 policing in southern slave holding states had roots in slave patrols, squadrons made up of white volunteers empowered to use vigilante tactics to enforce laws related to slavery. Reviewed by laura croghan kamoie published on hsouth january, 2002 the history, methods, composition, and lega. As historian sally hadden writes in her book, slave patrols. Hence, the slave patrol should be considered a forerunner of modern american law enforcement.
As university of georgia social work professor michael a. The end of the slave patrols gave rise to police departments circa 1833 in. Download slave patrols and the second amendment doc. With the end of the civil war came the end of slavery. The missouri general assembly first established patrols in 1825 then in 1837 the county courts were given powers to appoint township patrols to serve for one year trexler, 1969. May 18, 2017 some of the primary policing institutions there were the slave patrols tasked with chasing down runaways and preventing slave revolts, potter says. The selections below offer a representative sample of this evidence from slave narratives, former slave interviews as transcribed by the interviewers. Jun 07, 2019 slave patrols there are two historical narratives about the origins of american law enforcement. Since kentucky s enslaved people often did not work exclusively in the fields, people today have the impression that slavery in kentucky was somehow milder than slavery in the deep south. The history of slave patrols, black codes, and vagrancy laws.
Cassius clay read the manual and was so impressed that he urged. Aug 19, 2014 slave patrols helped to maintain the economic order and to assist the wealthy landowners in recovering and punishing slaves who essentially were considered property. Patrols rode through the countryside and the cities, terrorizing any black person found out. Connie hassettwalker, how you start is how you finish. Inserted the slave patrols the second amendment was directly back to the bill of the senate. White men in slave patrols who searched for runaway slaves and slaves traveling without passes. American police practices based on slave patrols nation of. Medea was a woman in greek mythology who killed her own children. It is perhaps the most allencompassing view yet of a long overlooked chapter of southern history.
George floyds death reflects the racist roots of american. These slave patrols are generally considered to be the first modern police organizations in this country. Typically, slave patrol routines included enforcing curfews, checking travelers for a permission pass, catching those assembling without permission, and preventing any form of organized resistance. The confederate government required many slave owners to provide slaves to work at military fortifications and other facilities throughout the south. During the civil war, the slave patrols became more active, and slaves were even more closely monitored. Sep 26, 2016 more than a hundred years earlier, in 1704, the colony of carolina developed the fledgling united states first slave patrol. Kentucky, the slave patrols expanded to include protection on the roads from highwaymen. The first formal slave patrol was created in the carolina colonies in 1704 reichel 1992. The historic tension between black and blue, and the rise.
The first slave patrols arose in south carolina in the early 1700s. This book completes the grim picture of slavery by showing us the origins, nature, and extent of slave patrols in virginia and the carolinas from the late 17th century through the end of the civil war. Marshals acting under the fugitive slave act of 1850. Jul 18, 2016 like the early slave patrols, current policing systems reinforce racist practices by other culpable agencies, departments, and entities. According to gary potter, the first formal slave patrols were established in 1704. Blacks in general scoffed at the iniquitous patrols which they. The history of police in america and the first force time. Federal records that help identify former slaves and slave. Owners continued to rely on slave patrols to monitor slaves movement but now sanctioned extreme violence as they worked to control an increasingly unruly slave population. Thomas lincoln, moreover, had also served on slave patrols.
Slave patrols formally dissolved after the civil war ended. In 1837, charleston, south carolina, had a slave patrol with over one hundred officers, which was far larger than any northern city police force at that time walker. This is the second teaching idea in a series designed to help you think critically about the long and troubling history between law enforcement and black americans, while not stereotyping or criminalizing all police o. The payrolls for that slave labor that usually indicate the name and place of. Wracked chicago this story and overseers had just a public, suppress slave patrols were to this. A history of blacks in kentuckytraces the role of blacks from the early exploration and settlement of kentucky to 1891, when african americans gained freedom only to be faced with a segregated society. Jul 10, 2019 typically, slave patrol routines included enforcing curfews, checking travelers for a permission pass, catching those assembling without permission, and preventing any form of organized resistance. Forth the slave and second amendments by the first treasury secretary, selling weapons. Eliza fled her kentucky master by crossing the ice to a quaker settlement in ohio, but even there. Garners life story was the basis of frances harpers 1859 poem slave mother. Robinson has written, by the time john adams became the second u. Scene on leaving virginia for kentucky cross the alleghany mountainsarrive at my masters new plantation in mason countybecome a house slave difficulties of training mea burglar encounteredsocial affections of slavesa sunday at chapelchristmas, how spent by the slaves slave patrols brutalizing effect of slavery upon the ladies. Perhaps the most revealing aspect of the way slave patrols functioned is that they were explicit in their design to empower the entire white population, not just with police power but with the duty to police the comings and goings and movements of black people. Download slave patrols and the second amendment pdf.
The first police forces were overwhelmingly white, male and more focused on responding to disorder than crime. Stolberg published slave patrols find, read and cite all the research you need on researchgate. The history of policing in the united states police studies online. Policing in southern slave holding states had roots in slave patrols, squadrons made up of white volunteers empowered to use vigilante tactics to enforce laws related to slavery. By connie hassettwalker, the conversation outrage over racial profiling and the killing of african americans by police officers and vigilantes in recent years helped give rise to the. County patrols must ride through the county on horseback at night to enforce slave laws. Louis police were founded to protect residents from native americans in. Slave patrols traditionally known as patrollers, patterrollers, pattyrollers or paddy rollers by enslaved persons of african descentwere organized groups of armed men who monitored and enforced discipline upon slaves in the antebellum u. Pdf the history of policing in the united states gary. Militias and slave patrols became commonplace, often using extreme violence and intimidation to thwart unruly slaves. Jun 04, 2019 policing in southern slave holding states had roots in slave patrols, squadrons made up of white volunteers empowered to use vigilante tactics to enforce laws related to slavery. Maintained militia is in slave patrols the second amendment and the capture.
The legacy of slavery and racism did not end after the civil war. The similarities between the slave patrols and modern american policing are too salient to dismiss or ignore. For exam ple, in atlanta, georgia, slave patrols were authorized to arrest any blacks who were on the street after 9. In 1837, charleston, south carolina, had a slave patrol with over one hundred officers, which was far larger than any northern city police force at that time walker, 1999. For example, new england settlers appointed indian constables to police native americans national constable association, 1995, the st. Making extensive use of numerous primary sources such as slave diaries, freedmens bureau records, church minutes, and collections of. Slave patrols were used for the express purpose of controlling the slave population and protecting the interests of slave owners. The social history of crime and punishment in america. But formerly enslaved people saw little relief from racist government policies as they promptly became subject to black codes. The slave patrols function was to police enslaved persons, especially those who escaped or were viewed as defiant.
Oct 29, 2019 the existence of slave patrols also helped city government officials argue that they needed to provide protection to the broader public through armed patrol wish, 1939. Slave patrols were backed by laws, courts, businesses, and religious groups. In some southern states, the militia and army served as slave patrols. Most people in slave patrols came from working and middleclass conditions citation needed. Those are the same entities that back and support the unjust killings of black people at the hands of police today. Garner and her family had escaped enslavement in january 1856 by travelling across the frozen ohio river to cincinnati, but they were apprehended by u. Slave patrolstraditionally known as patrollers, patterrollers, pattyrollers or paddy rollers by enslaved persons of african descentwere organized groups of. The history of slave patrols, black student activities. She also inspired kentucky painter thomas satterwhite nobles 1867 painting, the modern medea. A brief history of slavery and the origins of american. From slave patrols to traffic stops 4 june 2019, by connie hassettwalker a new slogan for an old problem. Slave patrols and night watches, which later became modern police departments, were both designed to control the behaviors of minorities. Slave patrols had the legal right to enter, without warrant, the plantation grounds of any georgian.
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