Slave Trade Act of 1794

Slave Trade Act of 1794
Long title	An Act to prohibit the carrying on the Slave Trade from the United States to any foreign place or country
Enacted by	the 3rd United States Congress
Effective	March 22, 1794
Citations
Public law	Pub. L. 3–11
Statutes at Large	1 Stat. 347
Legislative history
	Signed into law by President George Washington on March 22, 1794;
Major amendments
	Slave Trade Act of 1800
United States Supreme Court cases
	The Emily and the Caroline

The Slave Trade Act of 1794 was a law passed by the United States Congress that prohibited the building or outfitting of ships in U.S. ports for the international slave trade. It was signed into law by President George Washington on March 22, 1794. This was the first of several anti-slave-trade acts of Congress. In 1800, Congress strengthened it by sharply raising the fines and awarding informants the entire value of any ship seized, as well as additional prohibitions on American investment and employment in the trade.^[1]

Federal outlawing of importation of slaves to the United States was enacted in 1807. The domestic trade and owning of slaves became illegal in the entire U.S. with the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1865 following the American Civil War.

Passage

The bill was introduced during the 3rd Congress that happened December 2, 1793. This bill was then passed March 22, 1794, with the title: An Act to prohibit the carrying on the Slave Trade from the United States to any foreign place or country.^[2]

Text of the law

Section 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That no citizen or citizens of the United States, or foreigner, or any other person coming into, or residing within the same, shall, for himself or any other person whatsoever, either as master, factor or owner, build, fit, equip, load or otherwise prepare any ship or vessel, within any port or place of said United States, nor shall cause any ship or vessel to sail from any port or place within same, for the purpose of carrying on any trade or traffic in slaves, to any foreign country; or for the purpose of procuring, from any foreign kingdom, place or country, the inhabitants of such kingdom, place or country, to be transported to any foreign country, port, or place whatever, to be sold or disposed of, as slaves: And if any ship or vessel shall be so fitted out, as aforesaid, for the said purposes, or shall be caused to sail, so as aforesaid, every ship or vessel, her tackle, furniture, apparel and other appurtenances, shall be forfeited to the United States; and shall be liable to be seized, prosecuted and condemned, in any of the circuit courts or district court for the district where said ship or vessel may be found and seized.^[2]

After the modification by the Slave Trade Act of 1800, Section 2 allowed for forfeiture by owners and the possibility of a $2,000 fine.^[2] Section 3 affected foreign merchants.^[2] Section 4 forfeited any slaves on board the ship and a fine of $200 per slave.^[2] In short, the Act limited the international slave trade to foreign ships, and foreign ships using United States' ports had to agree not to export from U.S. ports.^[3]^[4]

First prosecution

In August 1795, Providence, Rhode Island merchant John Brown conspired to trade in slaves in contravention of the Act.^[5]^[6] Brown conspired with a Captain Peleg Wood with the ship Hope to be used in the slave trade. By November Hope was engaged in the slave trade, and in March 1796, the owners of the ship were fined by Rhode Island the amount of £200 for trading in slaves, which had been outlawed in that state. On a voyage in 1796, Brown's ship traveled to Africa and returned to Havana, Cuba with 229 slaves on board. This trading voyage led to a trial of Brown in 1796 for violating the statute. Brown became the first American tried in federal court under the Slave Trade Act of 1794.^[6] He was acquitted but did not get back his forfeited ship. ^[7]^[8]

References

^ Finkelman, 2015, p. 458.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "1 Stat. 348". United States Statutes at Large.
^ "Regulating the Trade". New York Public Library. Archived from the original on 8 July 2018. Retrieved 24 June 2014.
^ Finkelman, Paul (2004). "Suppressing American Slave Traders in the 1790s". OAH Magazine of History. 18 (3): 51–55. doi:10.1093/maghis/18.3.51. ISSN 0882-228X.
^ Charles Rappleye, Sons of Providence: The Brown Brothers, the Slave Trade, and the American Revolution (2006) excerpt Archived 2016-05-08 at the Wayback Machine
^ ^a ^b Austin Meredith (July 26, 2006). "Providence, Rhode Island" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-06-21. Retrieved 2007-02-20.
^ Papers of the American Slave Trade. Retrieved on February 20, 2007.
^ "Brown University Library, Center for Digital Scholarship". library.brown.edu. Archived from the original on 2022-06-27. Retrieved 2022-08-11.

External links

British documents on slave holding and the slave trade, 1788–1793 Archived 2008-05-21 at the Wayback Machine
Dealing African slaves
Subsequent laws

[1] Finkelman, 2015, p. 458.

[Note1-2] "1 Stat. 348". United States Statutes at Large.

[3] "Regulating the Trade". New York Public Library. Archived from the original on 8 July 2018. Retrieved 24 June 2014.

[4] Finkelman, Paul (2004). "Suppressing American Slave Traders in the 1790s". OAH Magazine of History. 18 (3): 51–55. doi:10.1093/maghis/18.3.51. ISSN 0882-228X.

[5] Charles Rappleye, Sons of Providence: The Brown Brothers, the Slave Trade, and the American Revolution (2006) excerpt Archived 2016-05-08 at the Wayback Machine

[slave2-6] Austin Meredith (July 26, 2006). "Providence, Rhode Island" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-06-21. Retrieved 2007-02-20.

[Note2-7] Papers of the American Slave Trade. Retrieved on February 20, 2007.

[8] "Brown University Library, Center for Digital Scholarship". library.brown.edu. Archived from the original on 2022-06-27. Retrieved 2022-08-11.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

v t e George Washington
1st President of the United States (1789–1797) Senior Officer of the Army (1798–1799) Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army (1775–1783) Delegate to the Second Continental Congress (1775) Delegate to the First Continental Congress (1774)
Military career Revolutionary War	Military career French and Indian War Jumonville Glen Battle of Fort Necessity Battle of the Monongahela Forbes Expedition Washington in the American Revolution Commander-in-chief, Continental Army Aides-de-camp Washington's headquarters office and sleeping tent Boston campaign Siege of Boston New York and New Jersey campaign Delaware River crossing Battle of Trenton Battle of the Assunpink Creek Battle of Princeton Philadelphia campaign Battle of Brandywine Battle of Germantown Battle of White Marsh Valley Forge Battle of Monmouth Battles of Saratoga Sullivan Expedition Yorktown campaign Siege of Yorktown Culper Spy Ring Newburgh Conspiracy Newburgh letter Asgill Affair Evacuation Day Resignation as commander-in-chief Badge of Military Merit Purple Heart Washington Before Boston Medal Horses Nelson Blueskin
Other U.S. founding events	Initiated, co-wrote, 1769 Virginia Association Initiated, 1774 Fairfax Resolves Continental Association Court of Appeals in Cases of Capture 1785 Mount Vernon Conference Chairman, 1787 Constitutional Convention George Washington's political evolution
Presidency (timeline)	1788–89 United States presidential election First inauguration inaugural bible 1792 presidential election Second inauguration Reception at Trenton Title of "Mr. President" Cabinet of the United States Secretary of State Attorney General Secretary of the Treasury Secretary of War Judiciary Act of 1789 Oath Administration Act Nonintercourse Act Whiskey Rebellion Militia Acts of 1792 Coinage Act of 1792 United States Mint Presidential Succession Act of 1792 United States Capitol cornerstone laying Proclamation of Neutrality Neutrality Act of 1794 Jay Treaty Pinckney's Treaty Slave Trade Act of 1794 Residence Act Thanksgiving Proclamation Farewell Address State of the Union Address 1790 1791 1792 1793 1796 Cabinet Federal judicial appointments John Rutledge Supreme Court nominations
Views and public image	Presidential library The Washington Papers Religious views Washington and slavery Town Destroyer Legacy
Life and homes	Early life Birthplace Ferry Farm boyhood home Mount Vernon Fishery Gristmill Whiskey distillery Woodlawn Plantation Longfellow House–Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site Ford Mansion, Washington's headquarters Hasbrouck House First Presidential Mansion Second Presidential Mansion President's House, Philadelphia Germantown White House Custis estate Washington's relations with the Iroquois Confederacy Potomac Company James River and Kanawha Canal Mountain Road Lottery Congressional Gold Medal Thanks of Congress President General of the Society of the Cincinnati Washington College Washington and Lee University Electoral history of George Washington Post-presidency of George Washington
Memorials and depictions	Washington, D.C. Washington state Washington Monument Mount Rushmore Washington's Birthday Purple Heart The Apotheosis of Washington Washington Monument (Boonsboro, Maryland) Washington Monument (Baltimore) George Washington (Houdon) plaster copy George Washington (Ceracchi) George Washington (Canova) George Washington (Greenough) George Washington (Trumbull) George Washington and the Revolutionary War Door Revolutionary War Door Washington Crossing the Delaware The Passage of the Delaware General George Washington at Trenton Washington at Verplanck's Point General George Washington Resigning His Commission Surrender of Lord Cornwallis Unfinished portrait Lansdowne portrait The Washington Family portrait Washington at Princeton paintings George Washington Taking the Salute at Trenton Reception at Trenton painting Statues Trenton Battle Monument Princeton Battle Monument Point of View sculpture George Washington on Horseback Austin statue Baltimore statue Boston statue Mexico City statue Morristown statue Newark statue New York City statue Wall Street statue Paris statue Perth Amboy statue Philadelphia statue Portland statue Washington, D.C. statue West Point monument George Washington University Washington University in St. Louis Washington Masonic National Memorial George Washington Memorial Parkway George Washington Bridge Washington and Jefferson National Forests Washington Square Park Arch U.S. Postage stamps Washington–Franklin Issues 1932 bicentennial Currency Washington quarter 50 State Quarters D.C. and territories quarters America the Beautiful quarters American Women quarters Washington dollar Lafayette dollar Silver bullion coins Washington nickel Washington half eagle 250th Anniversary half dollar Mount Rushmore Anniversary coins Mount Washington Cultural depictions George Washington (1984 miniseries 1986 sequel) A More Perfect Union (1989 film) The Crossing (2000 film) We Fight to Be Free (2006 film) Turn: Washington's Spies (2014–2017 series) The War that Made America (2006 miniseries) Washington (2020 miniseries) Hamilton (film)
Related	Bibliography List of articles Founders Online Founding Fathers of the United States Republicanism Federalist Party Federalist Era Virginia dynasty Coat of arms Cherry-tree anecdote River Farm Washington's Crossing Washington–Rochambeau Revolutionary Route 1751 Barbados trip Category Syng inkstand General of the Armies Conway Cabal American Foxhound American Philosophical Society American Revolution patriots Betsy Ross flag Mount Vernon Ladies' Association Mount Vernon replicas George Washington Memorial Building Attempted theft of Washington's skull
Family	Martha Washington (wife) John Parke Custis (stepson) George Washington Parke Custis (step-grandson, adopted son) Eleanor Parke Custis (step-granddaughter, adopted daughter) Augustine Washington (father) Mary Ball Washington (mother) Lawrence Washington (half-brother) Augustine Washington Jr. (half-brother) Elizabeth Washington Lewis (sister) Samuel Washington (brother) John A. Washington (brother) Charles Washington (brother) Lawrence Washington (grandfather) Mildred Gale (grandmother) John Washington (great-grandfather) George Reade (2nd great-grandfather) Bushrod Washington (nephew)
Slaves	List Betty Caroline Branham William Costin Sarah Johnson Oney Judge William Lee Hercules Posey Christopher Sheels Deborah Squash Harry Washington
John Adams → Category