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Connecticut Anti-Slavery Legislation, 1774

Colonial America

1774 Connecticut "Acts and Laws" Including the Colony's First Anti-Slavery Legislation

1774 Printed Tract of "Acts and Laws, Made and Passed by the General Court or Assembly of His Majesty's English Colony of Connecticut," Very Fine.
This is an original, 6 page official printed tract of several "Acts and Laws" passed by the colonial government of Connecticut during the October 1774 session. This 12" x 7.5" document was printed in New London by "Timothy Green, Printer to the Governor and Company." The pages are numbered 401 through 406, but do not appear to have been bound into a book and removed. The most interesting of these acts is, "An Act for Prohibiting the Importation of Indian, Negro, or Molatto Slaves." Under the terms of this act, anyone who afterwards bought or sold slaves in the colony, would forfeit them and be fined 100 pounds for each slave. Another act in this offprint concerns the reforming of militia regiments, and names specifically the 19th, 20th, 21st and 22nd Regiments. This document is in very nice condition, with appropriate age toning (a little darker along the outer edges) and some chipping along the bottom and right edges, not affecting the contents. A handwritten inscription at the top of the first page indicates that this specific copy was sent "To the clerk of the first society in Norwich." This is an exceedingly rare publication, and is Connecticut's first anti-slavery legislation. Evans 13209.