1682. Negro Serfdom Recognized. The charter of the Free Society of Traders of Pennsylvania recognizes the slavery of Blacks. Slaves were to be freed after fourteen years of service, upon condition that they cultivate land allotted to them, and surrender two-thirds of the produce annually.—Hazard’s “Annals” (Ed. 1850), 553.
1693, July 11. Tumults of Slaves. Action of City Council of Philadelphia against tumults by slaves.—Penna. Col. Rec., I, 380—81.
1700. Slave Marriages. Penn proposes a bill regulating slave marriages; bill is lost in Council.—Bettle, 368; Thomas, 266.
1700, November 27. Trial of Slaves. “An Act for the Trial of Negroes.” Introduced by Penn. This act provided that Negroes accused of high crime should be tried by two justices of the peace and six freeholders; rape of white women to be punished by death, and attempts by castration; Negroes were not to carry arms without special license; over four Negroes meeting together on Sundays or other days “upon no lawful business of their masters or owners” were to be whipped.—Statutes-at-Large, ch. 56. (Disallowed January 7, 1706.)
1700, November 27. Traffic with Slaves. “An Act for the Better Regulation of Servants in this Province and Territories.” Traffic with slaves forbidden, among other things.—Statutes-at-Large, ch. 49.
1700, November 27. Duty on Slaves. “An Act for Granting an Impost upon Wines, Rum, Beer, Ale, Cider, etc., Imported, Retorted and Sold in this Province and Territories.” §2.…“for every Negro, male or female, imported, if above sixteen years of age, twenty shillings; for every Negro under the age of sixteen, six shillings.—Statutes-at-Large, ch. 85.
1706, January 12. Duty on Slaves. “An Act for Raising a Supply.…” Imported Negroes, except those who lived at least two years in Jersey, 40s. (or 10s.?) per head.—Statutes-at-Large, ch. 164.
1706, January 12. Trial of Negroes. “An Act for the Trial of Negroes.” Practically the same as the Act of 1700; attempt to rape and robbery of £5 or more, punished by branding and exportation.—Statutes-at-Large, ch. 143. (Repealed by Act of 1780, q. v.)
1708. Protest to Legislature. Protest of Mechanics against hiring out of Negroes.—Scharf-Wescott: “History of Philadelphia,” I, 200.
1710, December 28. Duty Act. “An Impost Act, laying a Duty on Negroes.…”—40s. on Negroes imported.—Carey and Bioren, 1, 82.
1711, February 28. Duty Act. “An Impost Act, laying a Duty on Negroes.…” 40s. on Negroes not imported for importers own use.—Statutes-at-Large, ch. 181. (Disallowed 20 February, 1714.)
1712. Petition for Emancipation. Petition of Southeby for Abolition of Slavery—DuBois’ “Slave Trade,” p. 22.
1712. Negro Plot. Negro plot in New York.—Ibid.
1712, June 11. Duty Act. “A Supplementary Act to. . .” the Act of 1710.—Carey and Bioren, I, 87–88. (Disallowed in 1713.)
1712, June 7. Prohibitory Duty Act. “An Act to Prevent the Importation of Negroes and Indians into this Province.” £20 prohibitory duty laid on slaves imported, because of their plots and insurrections.—Statutes-at-Large, ch. 192. Cf. DuBois’ “Slave Trade,” p. 22. (Disallowed 1713.)
1713. Assiento Treaty. Contract for importing slaves into Spanish West Indies signed by Great Britain.—DuBois’ “Slave Trade,” pp. 207–9.
1715, May 28. Duty Act. “An Act for Laying a Duty on Negroes Imported into this Province.” £5 duty; slaves of immigrants not to be sold for a year.—Statutes-at-Large, III, 121. (Disallowed 21 July, 1719.)
1718, February 22. Duty Act. “An Act for Continuing a Duty on Negroes.…” £5 duty; slaves of immigrants not to be sold for 16 months.—Statutes-at-Large, III, 164.
1721, February 24. Duty Act. “An Act for Continuing several Acts.…” Act of 1718 continued.—Statutes-at-Large, III, 238.
1721, August 21. Traffic with Negroes. “A Supplementary Act to a Law.…” On Public Houses. No liquors to be sold Negroes or Indians without leave.—Statutes-at-Large, III, 250.
1721, August 26. Police Regulation. “An Act for Preventing Accidents that May Happen by Fire.” Slaves shooting squibs or guns in Philadelphia without license to be whipped.—Statutes-at-Large, III, 254.
1722, May 12. Duty Act. “An Act for Laying a Duty on Negroes.…” £5 duty, as in 1718.—Statutes-at-Large, III, 275.
1722. Petition of White Laborers. Laborers petition General Assembly against employment of Blacks. Assembly resolves: That the principle is dangerous and injurious to the republic and not to be sanctioned.—“Watson s Annals,” I, 98.
1726, March 5. Duty Act. “An Act for Laying a Duty on Negroes.…” Act of 1722 continued from 1726 to 1729.—Statutes-at-Large, IV, 52.
1726, March 26. Status of Negroes Defined. “An Act for the Better Regulation of Negroes in this Province.”
“Whereas, it often happens that Negroes commit felonies and other heinous crimes, which by the laws of this Province are punishable by death, but the loss of such cases falling wholly on the owner, is so great a hardship that sometimes may induce him to conceal such crimes, or convey his Negro to some other place and so suffer him to escape justice to the ill example of others to commit like offences.
“Be it resolved, etc., That Negroes convicted of capital crime be valued and paid for out of money collected as duty on their importation.”…
§ III. “Whereas, free Negroes are an idle and slothful people and often prove burdensome to the neighborhood and afford ill examples to other Negroes. Therefore, Be it enacted that if any master or mistress shall discharge or set free any Negro, he or she shall enter into recognizance with sufficient securities in the sum of £30 to indemnify the county for any charge or incumbrance they may bring upon the same in case such Negro, through sickness or otherwise, be rendered incapable of self-support.”
In case of freedom by will, the executor or administrator was required to give the bond, or such slaves should not be regarded as free.
Any Negro becoming free under age 21 might be bound to service until of age.
The Act further provided penalties for the harboring of Negroes by each other; for trading or dealing with each other without license—all on pain of being sold into slavery if unable to pay fine; also provided penalty of £100 for anybody who should marry a Negro and white person; £30 for Negro caught living in marriage relation with white person, in such cases Negro to be sold into slavery for life.
§ XI of Act prohibited masters, etc., from allowing Negro slaves to hire their own time.
One section also imposed a duty of £10 on imported slaves.—Statutes-at-Large, IV, 59.
1729, May 10. Duty Act. “An Act for Laying a Duty on Negroes Imported into this Province.” £2 duty.—Statutes-at-Large, IV, 128.
1732, April 17. Slave Tumults. Philadelphia Council order Ordinance drawn to prevent tumults of slaves on Sundays.—” Watson’s Annals,” I, 62.
1738, July 3. Slave Tumults. Draft of Ordinance to suppress tumults of slaves considered in Philadelphia City Council.—Ibid., I, 62.
1741, August 17. Tumults of Negroes. Order made by Philadelphia City Councils to suppress disorders of Negroes and others on court house square at night.—“Watson’s Annals,” I, 62–63.
1761, March 14. Duty Act. “An Act for Laying a Duty on Negro and Mulatto Slaves imported into this province.” £10 duty? Continued in 1768; repealed in 1780.—Carey and Bioren, I, 371, 451.
1761, April 22. Duty Act. “A Supplement to.…” the Act of 1761.—Ibid., 371, 451.
1768, February 20. Duty Act. Acts of 1761 re-enacted.—Dallas, I, 490.
1773, February 26. Duty Act. “An Act for Making Perpetual the Act.…” of 1761. Additional £10 duty provided for.—Dallas, I, 671.
1775. Bill on Importation. Bill to prohibit importation or slaves vetoed by Governor.—Bettle.
1778, September 7. Recovery of Duties. “An Act for the Recovery of the Duties on Negro and Mulatto Slaves.…”—Dallas, I, 782.
1779, February 5. Plan of Emancipation. Supreme Executive Council recommends a plan of gradual emancipation to Assembly.
1780, March 1. Slavery Abolished. “An Act for the Gradual Abolition of Slavery.”
§ 1, 2. General condemnation of slavery.
§ 3. No child born hereafter in Pennsylvania to be a slave.
§ 4. Children of slaves born hereafter to be bound to service until twenty-eight years of age.
§ 5. All slaves to be registered.
§ 7. Negroes to be tried for crime like other inhabitants.
§ 10. None to be slaves except those registered.
§ 14. Acts of 1725, 1761 and 1773 repealed.—Carey and Bioren, ch. 881.
1786. Petition for Potter’s Field. Petition of Philadelphia Negroes to Council for leave to enclose Potter’s Field as a Negro burial ground.—Penna. Col. Rec., XIV, 637.
1788, March 29. Act of 1780 Amended. “An Act to Explain and Amend an Act Entitled ‘An Act for the Gradual Abolition of Slavery.’ ”
§ 2. Slaves of immigrants to be free.
§ 3. Slaves not to be removed from without their consent given before two justices.
§ 4. Persons possessed of children liable to serve till twenty-eight years old must register them.
§ 5. Slave trading forbidden under penalty and forfeiture.
§ 6. Slaves serving for a term of years not to be separated from parents.—Carey and Bioren, ch. 394.
1790, September 2. Negro Suffrage. Constitution of Pennsylvania. Art. III, Sec. 1. In elections by the citizens, every freeman of the age of twenty-one years, having resided in the State two years next before the election, and within that time paid a State or county tax, which shall have been assessed at least six months before the election, shall enjoy the rights of an elector.—Purdon’s “Digest;” 6th ed.
1793, April 11. Duty on Slaves. “An Act to Establish a Board of Wardens for the Port of Philadelphia.…”
§ 22. Of passengers entering port only slaves to pay head money.—Carey and Bioren, ch. 178.
1800. Petition to Congress. Petition of Negroes to Legislature and Congress against slave-trade.—DuBois’ “Slave Trade,” p. 81–83.
1821, April. Act vs. Pauperism. “An Act to Prevent the Increase of Pauperism in the Commonwealth.”
§ 1. If any black indentured servant over twenty-eight years of age is brought into the State, his master is liable for his charge if he becomes a pauper.—Laws of Penna., 1821.
1826, March 25. Act vs. Kidnapping. “An Act to Give Effect to the Provisions of the Constitution of the United States, Relative to Fugitives from Labor, for the Protection of the Free People of Color, and to prevent Kidnapping.”
§ 1. Fine of $500–$2,000 and imprisonment seven to twenty-one years for kidnapping.
§ 2. Aiding and abetting punished.
§§ 3–6. Claimed fugitives to be arrested on warrant and taken before a judge. Oath of alleged owner or of interested persons not received as evidence.—Laws of Penna., 1826. Cf. Prigg vs. Penna., 16 Peters, 500, U. S. Reports.
1827, April 17. Sales of Fugitives. “An Act to Prevent Certain Abuses of the Laws Relative to Fugitives from Labor.” No sales of fugitive slaves to be made in the State of Pennsylvania.—Laws of Penna., 1827.
1832. Restriction on Immigration. Bill in Legislature to make free Negroes carry passes. Cf., p. 27.
1837, July. Negro Suffrage. Pennsylvania Supreme Court at Sunbury; case of Hobbs et al. vs. Fogg. Judgment of Common Pleas Court reversed and Negro declared not a “freeman” in the meaning of Constitution.—Penna. Reports, 6 Watts, 553–60.
1838. Negro Suffrage. Revised Constitution of Pennsylvania, Art. III, Sec. 1. “In elections by the citizens, every white freeman of the age of twenty-one years, having resided in this State one year, and in the election district where he offers to vote ten days immediately preceding such election, and within two years paid a State or county tax, which shall have been assessed at least ten days before the election, shall enjoy the right of an elector.”—Purdon’s “Digest,” Sixth Ed.
1854, May 8. “An Act for the Regulation and Continuance of a System of Education by Common Schools.”
The Controllers and Directors of the several school districts of the State are hereby authorized and required to establish within their respective districts separate schools for Negro and Mulatto children wherever such schools can be located so as to accommodate twenty or more pupils; and wherever such schools shall be established and kept open four months in every year the Directors and Controllers shall not be compelled to admit such pupils into any other schools of the district.—Laws of Penna., 1854.
1863, March 6. Immigration. Petition against immigration of freedmen to Pennsylvania denied by Senate committee of Legislature.—Pamphlet, Phila. Library.
1867. Separate Seats in Cars. Pennsylvania Supreme Court; case of West Chester and Philadelphia Co. vs. Miles. Held that separation of Negroes to assigned seats for good order is not illegal on railways, etc.—Penna. Reports, 5 Smith, 209.
1867, March 22. Civil Rights. Negroes to have same rights on railway cars as white citizens.—Brightley’s Purdon, Eleventh Ed., 1436.
1870, April 6. Negro Suffrage. § 10 of Act says: “That so much of every Act of Assembly as provides that only white freemen shall be entitled to vote or to register as voters, or as claiming to vote, at any general or special election in this Commonwealth, be and the same is hereby repealed; and that hereafter all freemen, without distinction of color, shall be enrolled and registered according to the provisions of the act approved April 17, 1869.”—Laws of Penna., 1870.
1874. Negro Suffrage. New Constitution removes restrictions as to color.
1874, April 10. Civil Rights. Pennsylvania Supreme Court; case of Drew vs. Peer. Damages given Negroes for ejectment from a theatre.—12 Norris, 234.
1878, March 15. Civil Rights. Pennsylvania Supreme Court; case of Central Railroad of New Jersey vs. Green and wife. Damages granted for compelling Negroes to go from one car to another on railway.—Penna. Reports, 5 Norris, 421, 427.
1881, June 8. Mixed Schools. § 1. It shall be unlawful for any school director, superintendent, or teacher to make any distinction whatever on account of, or by reason of, the race or color of any pupil or scholar who may be in attendance upon or seeking admission to any public or common school maintained wholly or in part under the school laws of the commonwealth.—Brightley’s Purdon, Eleventh ed., p. 292.
1887, May 19. Civil Rights. “An Act to Provide Civil Rights for all People, Regardless of Race or Color.” “§ 1. Be it enacted, etc., that any person, company, corporation, being owner, lessee or manager of any restaurant, hotel, railroad, street railway, omnibus line, theatre, concert hall or place of entertainment or amusement, who shall refuse to accommodate, convey or admit any person or persons on account of race or color over their lines or into their hotel or restaurant, theatre, concert hall or place of amusement, shall upon conviction thereof be guilty of a misdemeanor and be punished by a fine of not less than fifty or more than one hundred dollars.”—Laws of Penna., 1887, pp. 130–31.
1895, July 2. Life Insurance. Life insurance companies are not allowed to make any discriminations as to premiums, dividends, or otherwise, between insured of the same class and expectation of life.—Penna. Laws, 1895, p. 432.