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==The Patroller==
==The Patroller==
[[File:Slave Patrol.jpg|left|thumb|Depiction of slave patrol]]Slave patrollers had their own characteristics, duties, and benefits, apart from slave owners and overseers. Slave patrol duties started as breaking up slave meetings. These slave meetings occurred on holidays, in which they would plan revolts and uprisings. Eventually, slave patrol expanded to be year-round, and not just on holidays. Slowly, new duties and rights of patrollers became permitted, including: breaking up religious meetings, searching slave quarters without a warrant, and whipping disobedient slaves. Slave patrols consisted of mostly white citizens. Most people in slave patrols came from working and lower middle-class conditions. In some southern states the militia and army served as slave patrols. In other southern states slave patrols came about from colonial or state government legislation. Slave patrols typically rode on horseback in groups of four or five, sometimes even in family groups.They often worked sun-up to sun-down and varied their times and locations of patrol, to lower the chances of slaves escaping. They used no special equipment. Their chief tools, instead, were whips and intimidation. Some states, such as South Carolina required every white man, under consequence of forty shillings, to arrest and chastise any slave found away from their home without proper verification. After slaves were arrested and chastised, they were returned to their masters. In some instances, white men encouraged slaves to escape for the sake of being rewarded after the slave had been caught and returned to their masters. In some areas, killing a slave was not considered a crime by the courts or community. There were benefits of being a patroller. For example, patrollers were exempt from public, county, and parish taxes and fees during their term of service. In addition, some patrollers were paid additional sums with surplus money. Despite the power patrollers held, they had limitations. For example, although whippings and beatings were permitted, a deterrent also existed. This was the fact that, if whipped or beaten too severely, the slave was then of no use to their masters as laborers the next day. As a consequence, overly-brutal patrollers could expect revenge from slave owners.
[[File:Slave Patrol.jpg|left|thumb|Depiction of slave patrol]]Slave patrollers had their own characteristics, duties, and benefits, apart from slave owners and overseers. Slave patrol duties started as breaking up slave meetings. These slave meetings occurred on holidays, in which they would plan revolts and uprisings. Eventually, slave patrol expanded to be year-round, and not just on holidays. Slowly, new duties and rights of patrollers became permitted, including: breaking up religious meetings, searching slave quarters without a warrant, and whipping disobedient slaves. Slave patrols consisted of mostly white citizens. Most people in slave patrols came from working and lower middle-class conditions. In some southern states the militia and army served as slave patrols. In other southern states slave patrols came about from colonial or state government legislation. Slave patrols typically rode on horseback in groups of four or five, sometimes even in family groups.They often worked sun-up to sun-down and varied their times and locations of patrol, to lower the chances of slaves escaping. They used no special equipment. Their chief tools, instead, were whips and intimidation. Some states, such as South Carolina required every white man, under consequence of forty shillings, to arrest and chastise any slave found away from their home without proper verification. After slaves were arrested and chastised, they were returned to their masters. In some instances, white men encouraged slaves to escape for the sake of being rewarded after the slave had been caught and returned to their masters. In some areas, killing a slave was not considered a crime by the courts or community. There were benefits of being a patroller. For example, patrollers were exempt from public, county, and parish taxes and fees during their term of service. In addition, some patrollers were paid additional sums with surplus money. Despite the power patrollers held, they had limitations. For example, although whippings and beatings were permitted, a deterrent also existed. This was the fact that, if whipped or beaten too severely, the slave was then of no use to their masters as laborers the next day. As a consequence, overly-brutal patrollers could expect revenge from slave owners.<ref name="Bellesiles"/>


==Fugitive Slave Laws and Slave Codes==
==Fugitive Slave Laws and Slave Codes==

Revision as of 19:17, 7 November 2014

How can we improve this page?AEsquibel23 (talk) 21:39, 4 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

expand on how slave owners negotiated slave codes with their slaves.

Outline Ideas

slave patrols as the first organized policing institution (history)

chronological history: how it began and ended; issues of the reform era. (history)

The plantation system boomed after the American War of Independence and the invention of the cotton gin in 1793. This boom in the plantation system, especially on cotton plantations, called for more slaves.Slave patrols were needed too limit and deter any slave resistance which would cause a halt in production. AEsquibel23 (talk) 21:45, 9 October 2014 (UTC) (Websdal pg.17)[reply]

Slave patrolling began in Virginia in 1727 and lasted well beyond the American Revolution.Its development began when other means of slave control failed to instill slave control and obedience. At first, incentives such as tobacco and money were offered to urge whites to be more vigilant in the capture of runaway slaves. When this failed, use of slave patrols arose. (Bellesiles pg. 69-70)CaityJanelle (talk) 22:47, 19 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

changes made to slave patrols strategies and tactics over time (patrollers)

Power held over slaves had brutalizing effects on the attitudes and personalities of patrollers. Starting out as kinder-minded individuals, power could turn them into meaner people. (roles: Zimbardo study). Noted as becoming irresponsible power in the hands of patrols, masters, overseers, and white persons as a whole. (Douglass pg. 19)CaityJanelle (talk) 18:00, 10 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

similarities between slave patrol and modern-day policing (patrollers)

3 lessons of slave patrols: for modern policing: Using patrol as a strategy to prevent crime, local control over police functions, and racial abuse of power. — Preceding unsigned comment added by CaityJanelle (talk • contribs) 18:02, 24 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]


differences in slave patrol in southern vs. northern states; urban vs. plantation slaves; Differences in treatment free blacks vs slaves. (patrollers)

To be a city slave is better than being a slave on a plantation. A slave in a city is almost a freeman. They are more privileged, clothed, and fed. Slaveholders were "anxious to have it known of him, that he feeds his slaves well." Overseers were harsh and many bloody transactions occurred. (Douglass pg. 21)CaityJanelle (talk) 18:00, 10 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

Slaves were property, not people. — Preceding unsigned comment added by CaityJanelle (talk • contribs) 18:18, 31 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

edit 'fugitive slave act' and enter other slave laws(fugitive slave laws)

The Tennessee patrol act of 1793 required the courts to appoint "searchers". In the beginning searchers would survey and search slave quarters four time a year to look for contraband. By 1799 searchers had increased the search of slave quarters to every month. After 1806 these "searchers" had quickly evolved into an organized slave patrol. AEsquibel23 (talk) 21:45, 9 October 2014 (UTC) (Websdale pg.20)[reply]

methods, tactics, operations, organization of slave patrols; daily actions and duties. Did patrols have laws, regulations, and limitations? benefits and privileges? (patrollers)

In some areas, killing a slave is not considered a crime by the courts or community. Douglass also noted a comment made by one of his overseers stating that it is better a dozen slaves be whipped than an overseer be convicted for any wrongdoings. Perhaps the same could go for a slave patrolman.(Douglass pg.13 & 15)CaityJanelle (talk) 18:00, 10 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

Duties of slave patrols began as breaking up slave meetings. Slave meetings occurred on holidays, where slaves would plan revolts. Eventually, patrol duties grew to become year-round, not just on holidays. They could visit and search slave quarters without a warrant. Eventually, whipping disobedient slaves became permitted. Breaking up religious meetings held by slaves was also included (Bellesiles pg. 70)CaityJanelle (talk) 22:47, 19 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

Benefits of being on slave patrol was that they were exempt from public, county, and parish taxes/fees during their term of service. As a result, some patrollers were paid additional sums. (Bellesiles pg. 70)CaityJanelle (talk) 22:47, 19 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

Slave patrols typically rode in groups of four or five, sometimes even in family groups. They often worked from sundown to sunup. They most frequently encountered runaway, male slaves. Patrols didn't carry any special equipment; their main tools were whips and intimidation. They usually rode on horseback.The only deterrent of whipping/beating a slave was the fact that, if whipped/beaten too severely, the slave was then of no use to their masters as laborers the next day. As a consequence, "too-brutal" patrollers could expect revenge from slave owners. Locations and times that patrols worked varied so that slaves couldn't avoid capture as easily (Bellesiles pg. 73-76)CaityJanelle (talk) 22:47, 19 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

SLAVE PATROL REGULATIONS ROWAN COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, 1825 1st. Patrols shall be appointed, at least four in each Captain's district. 2d. It shall be their duty, for two of their number, at least, to patrol their respective districts once in every week; in failure thereof, they shall be subject to the penalties prescribed by law. 3d. They shall have power to inflict corporal punishment, if two be present agreeing thereto. 4th. One patroller shall have power to seize any negro slave who behaves insolently to a patroller, or otherwise unlawfully or suspiciously; and hold such slave in custody until he can bring together a requisite number of Patrollers to act in the business. 5th. Previous to entering on their duties, Patrols shall call on some acting magistrate, and take the following oath, to wit: "I, A. B. appointed one of the Patrol by the County Court of Rowan, for Captain B's company, do hereby swear, that I will faithfully execute the duties of a Patroller, to the best of my ability, according to law and the regulations of the County Court.” Univ. of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Library AEsquibel23 (talk) 15:46, 17 October 2014 (UTC) (slave codes)[reply]

White men encouraged slaves to escape for the sake of being rewarded after the slave had been caught and returned to their masters. (Douglass pg. 25)CaityJanelle (talk) 18:00, 10 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

There was "wonderful ease" in finding occasion to whip a slave. (Douglass pg. 47)CaityJanelle (talk) 18:00, 10 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

discuss ideas of "community slave patrols"--every white man had the power over slaves (patrollers)

In South Carolina 1690 a legislation act was created that required all people, under consequence of forty shillings, to arrest and chastise any slave away from their home without proper verification. After slaves were arrested and chastised they were returned to their master. AEsquibel23 (talk) 21:45, 9 October 2014 (UTC) (Websdale pg.20)[reply]

how does an individual get a job as a slave patrol? their characteristics, family ties, economic/social status? (patrollers)

Most people in slave patrols came from working and lower middle-class conditions. In some southern states the militia and army served as slave patrols. In other southern states slave patrols came about from colonial or state government legislation.AEsquibel23 (talk) 21:45, 9 October 2014 (UTC)(Websdale pg.20)[reply]

Future Edits

We still need to add references to all of the information we put on the article page. We also need to add more information about slave codes. A picture will be added in the Patrollers section to make it a bit more "fancy". AEsquibel23 (talk) 23:43, 5 November 2014 (UTC)[reply]

Suggestions for revisions and expansions

The History section has some grammatical errors, including an errant semi-colon in the first sentence. That section and "The Patroller" section also need in-text references. It might make more sense to put "The Patroller" section after the "Fugitive Slave Laws and Slave Codes" section. The idea to discuss the links between slave patrols and modern day policing is interesting. This section would have to be well-documented because it would probably be a controversial addition. It might also be useful in the History section to mention what happened to slave patrols after the Civil War. Did they just end, or did they take a different form? I also like the idea to put in a section comparing slave patrols in different areas. That would give the article some depth that it currently lacks. Profmwilliams (talk) 18:56, 6 November 2014 (UTC)[reply]

Peer Review

You guys have a very good base and in my opinion the revisions that you guys plan on making would be excellent for this article talk page. Just be sure to expand on the subject area in great detail and use plenty of examples to show that you are not being opinionated. Cj2300 (talk) 18:09, 7 November 2014 (UTC)Marquel, CameroneCj2300 (talk) 18:09, 7 November 2014 (UTC)[reply]

Working Article Citation

This article is about patrols to capture runaway slaves. For information on naval operations to enforce laws against bringing slaves from Africa to the Americas, see African Slave Trade Patrol.

A woodcut from the abolitionist Anti-Slavery Almanac (1839) depicts the capture of a fugitive slave by a slave patrol.

Slave patrols (called patrollers, pattyrollers or paddy rollers by the slaves) were organized groups of white men who monitored and enforced discipline upon black slaves in the antebellum U.S. southern states. Slave patrols' function was to police slaves, especially runaways and defiant slaves. They also formed river patrols to prevent escape by boat. Slave patrols were first established in South Carolina in 1704, and the idea spread throughout the colonies.

History

Slave patrols began in South Carolina in 1704 and spread throughout the colonies and lasted well beyond the American Revolution. As the population of black slaves boomed, especially with the invention of the cotton gin, so did the fear of slave resistance and uprisings. Its development began when other means of slave control failed to instill slave control and obedience. Their biggest concern were slaves on the plantations since that is where slave populations were highest. At first, incentives such as tobacco and money were offered to urge whites to be more vigilant in the capture of runaway slaves. When this approach failed, slave patrols were formally established.[1] Laws were put into place to regulate the activities of both blacks and whites. Slaves who were encountered without passes were expected to be returned to their owners, as stated in the slave code. Punishment for runaway slaves could be expected. Black persons were subjected to questioning, searches, and other forms of harassment. Oftentimes, whippings and beatings for non-compliant, and even compliant slaves, could be expected. More than floggings and beatings, however, slaves feared the threat of being placed on the auction block. If caught by patrols and returned to their masters, being placed on the auction block was an option for masters who no longer wanted to deal with their non-compliant slaves.[2]

Slave patrols "apprehended runaways, monitored the rigid pass requirements for blacks traversing the countryside, broke up large gatherings and assemblies of blacks, visited and searched slave quarters randomly, inflicted impromptu punishments, and as occasion arose, suppressed insurrections."[3] During these times, slaves were often neglected and mistreated despite having permission to travel.

Slave owners feared slave gatherings would allow them to trade or steal goods and the potential for a rebellion. South Carolina and Virginia selected patrols from state militias. Slave patrols were often equipped with guns and whips and would exert brutal and racially motivated control. At times Blacks developed many methods of challenging slave patrolling, occasionally fighting back violently. The American Civil War developed more opportunities for resistance against slave patrols and made it easier for enslaved people to escape.

The Patroller

Depiction of slave patrol

Slave patrollers had their own characteristics, duties, and benefits, apart from slave owners and overseers. Slave patrol duties started as breaking up slave meetings. These slave meetings occurred on holidays, in which they would plan revolts and uprisings. Eventually, slave patrol expanded to be year-round, and not just on holidays. Slowly, new duties and rights of patrollers became permitted, including: breaking up religious meetings, searching slave quarters without a warrant, and whipping disobedient slaves. Slave patrols consisted of mostly white citizens. Most people in slave patrols came from working and lower middle-class conditions. In some southern states the militia and army served as slave patrols. In other southern states slave patrols came about from colonial or state government legislation. Slave patrols typically rode on horseback in groups of four or five, sometimes even in family groups.They often worked sun-up to sun-down and varied their times and locations of patrol, to lower the chances of slaves escaping. They used no special equipment. Their chief tools, instead, were whips and intimidation. Some states, such as South Carolina required every white man, under consequence of forty shillings, to arrest and chastise any slave found away from their home without proper verification. After slaves were arrested and chastised, they were returned to their masters. In some instances, white men encouraged slaves to escape for the sake of being rewarded after the slave had been caught and returned to their masters. In some areas, killing a slave was not considered a crime by the courts or community. There were benefits of being a patroller. For example, patrollers were exempt from public, county, and parish taxes and fees during their term of service. In addition, some patrollers were paid additional sums with surplus money. Despite the power patrollers held, they had limitations. For example, although whippings and beatings were permitted, a deterrent also existed. This was the fact that, if whipped or beaten too severely, the slave was then of no use to their masters as laborers the next day. As a consequence, overly-brutal patrollers could expect revenge from slave owners.[4]

Fugitive Slave Laws and Slave Codes

The Fugitive Slave Laws helped enforce the necessity for slave patrols in order to abide by the law. Although these laws were initially created to keep tensions low between the north and the south, it caused the physical formation of slave patrols.[5] During the Civil War, the theory of Contraband prevented the return of Southern slaves who reached Union-held territory. This helped limit the role of slave patrols/catchers and changed the war. Another form of help for slaves was the Underground Railroad which aided slaves in their escape to northern states. The use and physical formation of slave patrols came to its end in 1865 when the Civil War ended. This end, however, is linked to post-Civil War groups such as the Ku Klux Klan, which continued to terrorize and threaten the black community.[3]

Slave codes were different from state to state. Slave masters negotiated slave codes with their slaves.[6]

References

  1. ^ Bellesiles, Michael. Lethal Imagination: Violence and Brutality in American History. NYU Press; Edition Unstated edition (March 1, 1999). Print.
  2. ^ Douglass, Fredrick. Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass. Dover Publications, 1995. Print.
  3. ^ a b Hadden, Sally E. (2001). Law and Violence in Virginia and the Carolinas. Harvard University Press.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Bellesiles was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Campbell, Stanley W. (1970). The Slave Catchers: Enforcement of the Fugitive Salve Law, 1850–1860. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press.
  6. ^ Websdale, Neil (2001). Policing the Poor: From Slave Plantation to Public Housing. Boston: Northern University Press.
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