Declaration of the King, Concerning the Policing of Black people โ King Louis XVI of France (9 August 1777)
Louis, by the grace of God, King of France and Navarre: To all who shall see these present Letters, Greetings. By our Letters Patent of September 3rd last, we ordered that judgment be suspended in all cases or trials concerning the status of Blacks of either sex whom the inhabitants of our colonies brought with them to France for their service: We are informedNow that the number of Black people has so multiplied, due to the ease of communication between America and France, that the Colonies are daily deprived of this portion of men most necessary for cultivating the land, while at the same time their presence in the cities of our kingdom, especially in the capital, causes the greatest disorder; and when they return to the Colonies, they bring with them a spirit of independence and insubordination, and become more harmful than useful. It therefore seemed wise to us to defer to the requests of the inhabitants of our Colonies by prohibiting all Black people from entering our Kingdom. We are willing, however, not to deprive those of the said Inhabitants whom their affairs call to France, of the assistance of a black servant to serve them during the crossing; on the condition, however, that the said servants may not leave the Port where they have been disembarked, except to return to the Colony from which they were brought; we will also provide for the status of the black servants who are currently in France; finally, we will reconcile by all these provisions the general good of our Colonies, the particular interest of their Inhabitants and the protection which we owe to the preservation of morals and good order in our Kingdom. For these reasons and others moving us, with the advice of our Council and our certain knowledge, full power and Royal authority, We have by these presents, signed by our hand, said, declared and ordered, do say, declare and order, will and please us as follows:
I:
We expressly forbid all our Subjects, of whatever quality and condition they may be, even all foreigners, from bringing into our Kingdom, after the publication and registration of our present Declaration, any Black, Mulatto, or other People of Color, of either sex, and from retaining them there in their service; all under penalty of a fine of three thousand pounds, or even a greater penalty if it should be necessary.
II:
We likewise forbid, under the same penalties, all Blacks, Mulattoes or other People of Color, of either sex, who are not in service, from entering our Kingdom in the future, under any cause or pretext whatsoever.
III:
Blacks or Mulattoes who have been brought to France, or who have entered it since the said publication, shall, at the request of our Prosecutors at the Admiralty Courts, be arrested and escorted to the nearest Port, to be subsequently re-embarked for our Colonies at our expense, according to the specific orders that we shall send for this purpose.
IV:
Nevertheless, we permit any inhabitant of our colonies who wishes to travel to France to embark with him a single Black or Mulatto person, of either sex, to serve him during the crossing, on the condition that he be handed over, upon arrival in the port, to the depot designated for this purpose by our orders, and remain there. until he can be re-embarked. We enjoin our Attorneys of the Admiralties of the Port where the said Blacks would have been disembarked, to ensure the execution of this provision, and to have them re-embarked on the first vessel that sets sail from the said Port for the Colony from which they would have been brought.
