Act of 1803 in the United States

The Act of 1803 (Toussaint l’Ouverture and Anti-Slavery Effort, 1787–1808)

In the book “The Suppression of the African Slave Trade to the United States of America 1638-1870” (1), W. E. B. Du Bois explained the following: The Haytian revolt, having been among the main causes of two laws, soon was the direct instigation to a third. The frightened feeling in the South, when freedmen from the West Indies began to arrive in various ports, may well be imagined. On January 17, 1803, the town of Wilmington, North Carolina, hastily memorialized Congress, 88stating the arrival of certain freed Negroes from Guadeloupe, and apprehending “much danger to the peace and safety of the people of the Southern States of the Union” from the “admission of persons of that description into the United States.”44 The House committee which considered this petition hastened to agree “That the system of policy stated in the said memorial to exist, and to be now pursued in the French colonial government, of the West Indies, is fraught with danger to the peace and safety of the United States. That the fact stated to have occurred in the prosecution of that system of policy, demands the prompt interference of the Government of the United States, as well Legislative as Executive.”45 The result was a bill providing for the forfeiture of any ship which should bring into States prohibiting the same “any negro, mulatto, or other person of color;” the captain of the ship was also to be punished. After some opposition46 the bill became a law, February 28, 1803.47

Resources

Notes and References

1. W. E. B. Du Bois, “The Suppression of the African Slave Trade to the United States of America 1638-1870” (1893), Longmans, Green and Co., London, New York, Bombay and Calcuta.

See Also

Further Reading

• Thomas Branagan. Serious Remonstrances, addressed to the Citizens of the Northern States and their Representatives, on the recent Revival of the Slave Trade in this Republic. Philadelphia, 1805.
• William B. Lawrence. Visitation and Search; or, An Historical Sketch of the British Claim to exercise a Maritime Police over the Vessels of all Nations, in Peace as well as in War. Boston, 1858.
• William Chauncey Fowler. Local Law in Massachusetts and Connecticut, Historically considered; and The Historical Status of the Negro, in Connecticut, etc. Albany, 1872, and New Haven, 1875.
• A Short Sketch of the Evidence for the Abolition of the Slave-Trade. Philadelphia, 1792.
• Thomas Cooper. Letters on the Slave Trade. Manchester, Eng., 1787.
• Edward Needles. An Historical Memoir of the Pennsylvania Society, for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery.342 Philadelphia, 1848.
• Great Britain. British and Foreign State Papers.
• Henry Wheaton. Enquiry into the Validity of the British Claim to a Right of Visitation and Search of American Vessels suspected to be engaged in the African Slave-Trade. Philadelphia, 1842.