1699 1st set of laws targeted towards runaway slaves which established a 10 shillings per night

fine if a slave was harbored. These were directed towards whites particularly as the
Virginian government and referenced no punishment for the runaway slave themselves.

! 1715
First formal state wide slave code is passed. This established the pass or ticket system
which required every slave away from their owners home to have a paper that stated the
slave’s name, their point of origin, and their destination. This rule did not apply to slaves
accompanied by whites, even if they themselves were servants. Owners which did not give
their slaves a pass were fined 5 shillings along with the cost of apprehending the slave as
they were then considered a runaway. These laws also established the reward system used
within slave advertisements that encouraged citizens to involve themselves in insuring
runaways were returned to their rightful owners. Apprehender’s of slaves would be given a
minimum of 5 shillings. If they had to travel to return the slave they were to be given 1
shilling per miles up to 10 miles and then 3 pence per mile after 10 miles. If the owner of a
slave could not be located, the apprehender was to take the runaway to local law
enforcement. If this was done, the local law enforcement would pay the apprehender for their
efforts along with the amount of travel they did to get the slave to them. The slave owner would
have to then reimburse the county for all expenses they paid to apprehender’s when
arriving to retrieve their slave along with a fee of 6 pence per day that the slave was
lodged in the county jail.

1739 The Stono Rebellion occurred in September of this year. This slave rebellion rook place in
South Carolina and twenty whites were killed. South Carolina’s slave code was made more strict
because of it.

1741 The fear that arose due to the Stono Rebellion caused the passage of a stricter slave code,
following in the foot steps of South Carolina. A major portion of this legislation was dedicated
towards runaways and was attempting to secure the safe return of runaways to their owners.
The goal was to reduce the ability of those who wanted to prevent the return of slaves to
their owners. The rate apprehender’s were to be paid was raised from 5 shillings to 7
shillings. Owners were to pay apprehender’s at least 6 pence for transport of their slave if
they were less than 10 miles away from them. If the apprehender’s had to travel over 10
miles to return the slave to their owner, the owner was to pay the apprehender’s 3 pence
per mile for transport. Sheriffs, under this law also had a new responsibility. They were to
create the description of any slave being housed in their county jail. This description is
what was used in not only slave ads placed by sheriffs but also it was to be posted in
every church within their county on every sunday for two months to spread word of mouth
that a runaway has been apprehended. This description was to include the runaways
height, skin tone, birth marks or scars, and the clothing they wore when they escaped. If
the owner of a slave was not found after two months, the slave was to be moved out of
county jail and taken from constable to constable until they reached a public jail. While in
public jail, slaves still were not claimed by their owners. When this happened, slaves were
to be hired out after the approval of two peace justices was given. This was done in order
to pay the expenses of their imprisonment. They were also forced to wear a iron neck
collar the had the letters “P.G.” on it meaning public gaol (IMAGE 1). Sheriffs and other law
enforcers were not required to pay provincial, county, or state taxes in order to
compensate them for their efforts in retrieving runaways. They were also allowed upon
ferries for free. Sheriffs were also required to be paid 2 shillings and 6 pence for keeping a
slave in jail for 24 hours and then 6 pence per day after 24 hours. 2 shillings and 6 pence
was also to be paid by the owner at the time the runaway was claimed from the jail.
Anyone concealing a runaway would be charged 40 shilling under these laws. Convincing
a slave to escape if proven would be cause a fine of 20 pounds also. If the individual could
not pay this they were to work for the slave owner they performed this offense against
until they had paid off their debt.

1753 The laws passed in this year established a patrol system within North Carolina. The peace
justices in each county were to divide their area up into districts and nominate 3 patrollers per
district. These patrollers were to search slave quarters 4 times a year. If patrollers failed to
perform these duties they were to pay 40 shillings as a fine. Patrollers were also not
required to pay provincial, county, and state taxes like sheriffs.
1779 Legislation was passed making the existent slave patrol system in NC more strict. This occurred
as the American and Haitian Revolutions had caused much distraught in terms of slave
rebellions. Slave quarters were to be searched one a month. If patrollers failed to do this the
would then be charged a fine of 100 pounds. Slave owners that let slaves off the home ground
without a pass were fined. Stealing slaves had also become an issue so the legislation also
addressed this. Anyone found stealing a slave would be punished by the death penalty.

1791 Legislation to address the problem of harboring slaves on vessels was taken on for the first time
in this year. Anyone found harboring a slave aboard their ship without written permission from the
slave’s owner would be fined. Captains of ships could only have slaves on board if
permission was given by the owner from sunrise to sunset.

1792 Legislation against harboring slaves on ships becomes more strict. Anyone found harboring a
slave on board of a ship could be punished by death. This occurred because of a huge increase
in the free black population in NC in the eastern counties of New Bern, Wilmington, and Edenton.

1793 First Federal Fugitive Slave Act is passed outside of the constitution which granted slave
owners more power in terms of retrieving their runaways by allowing them retrieval from from
any territory or state. Also this act imposed a fine of $500 to anyone who aided runaways
allowing them to avoid arrest by harboring or concealing them. This also recognized Slavery as
an institution on a national basis.

1794 The runaway slave legislation passed in this year repealed the patrol regulations of 1779 and
made it even more strict. The amount of patrollers for each district in NC was to be doubled
from the initial 3 to 6. Patrollers were required to search slave quarters once every two
weeks. Patrollers were also to physically punish slaves found away from their homes without a
pass by giving them no more than 15 lashes.

1802 Patrol act of 1794 would become even more strict legislation due to a slave uprising
conspiracy in the Outer Banks that was said to have been inspired by the events occurring in the
Haitian Revolution. This legislation gave all county full power to regulate their patrol system
as slave population varied between counties. Also, free black populations varied. This presented
special needs for each county in terms of their patrols. The most rigorous slave codes and
regulations were passed in the eastern counties which had high black populations as
mentioned before.

1829 A free black named David Walker that grew up in Wilmington, published a pamphlet called
Appeal in Four Articles, Together with a Preamble to the Colored Citizens of the World, But
in Particular, ad Very Expressly to Those of the United States of America. This pamphlet
caused a lot of fear within southern Whites as it called for all slaves to rebel against their
owners as they had helped build America and had just as much of a right to the freedoms it
offered.

1830 David Walker’s pamphlet is banned from North Carolina. Anyone possessing it on their first
offense would be imprisoned for at least a year and any second offense would result in the use of
the death penalty. It was also made illegal to teach slaves to read or write. Whites which
offended this law would be fined while free blacks would imprisoned or physically punished.
Slave patrols were also given even more power as this legislation allowed them appoint as
many patrollers necessary and also for the first time were able to punish whites and free
blacks that traded with slaves. Patrollers still were exempt from all taxes and were now to
be compensated by the county. They were also to punish anyone which taught slaves to read
or write.

!
1831 Nat Turners Rebellion took place in South Carolina and caused a lot of social disruption in
the South Eastern counties of NC.

1835 North Carolina Constitutional Convention happened this year. The main goal during this
convention in terms of runaways was to reduce the threat of rebellion along with give free
blacks a more neutral position in order to maintain the abolitionist movement which had really
taken off at this point. The role that free blacks played in helping slaves runaway or rebel was
powerful and this was recognized heavily especially after Nat Turners rebellion 4 years prior to
this convention.

1850 Fugitive Slave Act of 1793 is repealed and more strict one is passed in this year. This act
allowed slave owners to cross into any territory to retrieve their runaways, whether they
privately hired slave catchers or attempted to do so themselves. This law most importantly
established no territory where a person of property was free within the United States.