4 octobre 2022

Black Laws of 1803

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Blacks in Ohio could not vote, hold office, serve in the state militia, or serve as jurors. Blacks were not allowed into the public school system until 1848, when a law was passed allowing communities to establish separate schools. The Ohio Constitution of 1803 upheld the prohibition of slavery north of the Ohio River in the Northwest Ordinance. Many Ohioans came from southern states that allowed slavery and were unwilling to grant rights to African Americans. [1] Although slavery was not permitted in Ohio under the Constitution of 1803, most African Americans were not equated with whites in the new state. Many Ohioans came from southern states that allowed slavery and were unwilling to grant rights to African Americans. Other Ohioans were concerned about economic competition from free blacks who might choose to settle in the state. As a result of these sentiments, Ohio legislators had introduced black laws as early as 1804. The 1807 Acts were a continuation of these earlier Acts. The BLACK LAWS were a series of early 19th century restrictions imposed on black citizens of Cleveland by the Ohio Constitution of 1802 and state laws. Growing anti-slavery sentiment in the WESTERN RESERVE led to the repeal of most of these laws before the Civil War.

Like other states in the Northwest Territory, Ohio was influenced by the South`s attitude toward race. Although slavery was not allowed, blacks in Ohio (see AFRICAN AMERICANS) could not vote, testify in court against whites, hold office, or serve in the state militia (see BLACK MILITARY UNITS). Other laws required blacks to post $500 bail before moving to the state and register their certificates of liberty with the county clerk`s office before getting a job, preventing them from serving jurors. Blacks were not allowed into the public school system until 1848, when a law was passed allowing communities to establish separate schools. In 1837, blacks in Ohio came together in a national convention to get black laws repealed. [2] In the late 1840s, black laws became a political issue again. Members of the Free Soil Party lobbied for the repeal of the laws and partially succeeded in 1849. The changes to the laws were achieved in part because Ohio Democrats supported the repeal of black laws in exchange for the Free Soil Party`s support for their candidates for the state legislature. The Black Laws were partially repealed in 1849 and ended the requirement to reserve obligations[3] for Democratic support for the Free Soil Party. [1] Cuyahoga County delegates blocked the anti-black provisions of the 1851 Constitution. [4] Under the federal Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, free blacks were abducted and enslaved because alleged fugitive slaves had no rights in court and could not defend themselves against charges.

[5] The Black Laws of 1804 and 1807 discouraged African-American migration to Ohio. Slavery was not allowed in the Constitution of 1803. The 1804 law prohibited black Ohio residents without a certificate from being free. The 1807 law required a $500 bond for good conduct. Under the 1807 act, black and mulatto residents demanded a $500 bond for good conduct and against becoming a community fee. The overseer of the poor in the community was obliged to expel those who had no ties. Hosting, employing or hiding a person without bail was a $100 fine shared between the informant and the state. It also forbade a black person to witness against a white person. While the filing of certificates and bonds was loosely enforced, other laws in Cleveland and the rest of Ohio were initially strictly followed. However, in the 1830s, when the Western Reserve became a hotbed of reform and ABOLITIONISM, local attitudes changed.

Cleveland and other cities in northeastern Ohio became stops on the Underground Railroad to Canada. While this activism hardly meant universal acceptance of racial equality, the CUYAHOGA COUNTY ANTI-SLAVERY SOCIETY lobbied lawmakers in 1838 to promote the repeal of black laws. In 12 years, this has been achieved by the legislator of Area Free-Soil. Cuyahoga County delegates blocked the anti-black provisions of the 1851 Constitution and promoted the black vote in 1867, which was rejected by Ohio voters. The 1804 law required black and mulatto residents to have a certificate from the clerk of the court attesting that they were free. The employers who raped him were fined $10 to $50, which was shared between the informant and the state. On April 1, 1807, Ohio began legally prohibiting blacks from testifying in cases involving whites as parties. As a result, whites could act with impunity over the next four decades by filing baseless civil lawsuits against blacks who are not allowed to testify to defend themselves and commit crimes against blacks without fear that the black victim or witnesses will be allowed to testify against them. This law made blacks vulnerable to exploitation and abuse and ensured that they could not rely on the courts for protection or justice. Between 1800 and 1810, Ohio`s black population grew by more than 550 percent. When Ohio became a state in 1803, the Ohio Legislature launched a coordinated campaign to prevent « runaway slaves » and free blacks from settling in the state. Ohio`s « black laws, » enacted between 1804 and 1807, sought to restrict the freedom of movement and freedom of blacks already living in the state, deny all blacks the right to public education, and require blacks to register with local authorities and « prove » their freedom upon request.

Other laws prevented blacks from competing economically with whites in Ohio; An 1807 law fined any white person for hiring a black person who had no proof of liberty. Within 20 days of arriving in Ohio, blacks seeking to reside there had to pay a $500 bond guaranteed by two white men. The « Testimony Act, » which came into force on April 1, 1807, relied on these racial restrictions. The law prohibited any Black person from « taking an oath or providing evidence in a court where one of the parties is a white person, or in a law enforcement agency. against every white person. This meant that blacks could not testify against whites who had committed crimes against them or others. In civil cases, white plaintiffs could easily win lawsuits against blacks who could not even protect themselves from clearly frivolous lawsuits.

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