Code Noir Totally Explained

Everything about The Code Noir totally explained

The Code Noir (French language: The Black Code), was a decree passed by France's King Louis XIV in 1685. The Code Noir ordered all Jews out of France's colonies, forbade the exercise of any religion other than Roman Catholicism, restricted the activities of free Negroes and defined the conditions of slavery in the French colonial empire. The code has been described by Tyler Stovall as, "one of the most extensive official documents on race, slavery, and freedom ever drawn up in Europe."

Context

Louis XIV wanted to increase his power in the colonies. The Code Noir was one of the many laws inspired by Colbert. At that time in the Caribbean, Jews were mostly active in the Dutch colonies, so their presence was seen as a Dutch influence. At that time the majority of the population of the French Caribbean were slaves, and slave revolts were frequent.

Summary

The document specified that:

Jews couldn't reside on the French colonies

slaves must be baptized in the Roman Catholic Church

forbade the exercise of any other religion, other than Catholicism

slave masters must be Roman Catholic

non-Catholic colonial subjects must not interfere with the Catholic practices of other subjects

all colonial subjects and slaves must observe Catholic holidays regardless of their own faith

slave markets must not be held on Catholic holidays

only Catholic marriages would be recognized

married free men will be fined for having children with their slave concubines, as will the slave concubine's master. If the man himself is the master of the slave concubine, the slave and child will be removed from his ownership. If the man wasn't married, he should then be married to the slave concubine thus freeing her and the child from slavery.

weddings between slaves must be carried out only with the masters' permission. Slaves won't be married without their own consent

children born between married slaves are also slaves, belonging to the female slave's master

children between a male slave and a female free woman are free

slaves shan't carry weapons except under permission of their masters for hunting purposes

slaves belonging to different masters may not gather at any time under any circumstance

slaves shan't sell sugar cane, even with permission of their masters

slaves may not sell any other commodity without permission of their masters

slaves who are sick must be cared for by their masters. masters who abandon sick slaves will be fined

(unclear) "Slaves shan't be a party, either in court or in a civil matter, either as a litigant or as a defendant, or as a civil party in a criminal matter. And compensation shall be pursued in criminal matters for insults and excesses that have been committed against slaves. . . ."

a slave who strikes his or her master, his wife, mistress or children will be executed

fugitive slaves absent for a month shall have their ears cut off and be branded. For another month their hamstring will be cut and that'll be branded again. A third time that'll be executed

masters of freed slaves who give refuge to fugitive slaves will be fined

(unclear) a master who falsely accuses a slave of a crime and has the slave put to death will be fined

masters may chain and beat slaves but may not torture them

masters who kill their slaves will be punished

slaves are community property and can't be mortgaged, and must be equally split between the masters inheritors

slave husband and wife (and their prepubescent children) under the same master are not to be sold separately

slave masters 20 years of age (25 years without parental permission) may free their slaves

(unclear) "The children who are declared to be sole legatees by their masters, or named as executors of their wills, or tutors of their children, shall be held and considered as freed slaves. . . ."

freed slaves are French subjects, even if born elsewhere

freed slaves have the same rights as French colonial subjectsFurther Information

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