The black Code: letters patents issued by Louis XV determining the status of slaves on Bourbon Island and Ile de France. December 1723

The 54 articles of the code, inspired by the one issued for the French Caribbean islands in 1685, was applied on Bourbon as from 1723.

Letters patents. December 1723.
Coll. of Departmental Archives of Reunion Island, inv. C 940

During the whole period of slavery, it determined the relations between masters and slaves as regards the rights and obligations of each of the group, as well as repressive measures. The main provisions concerned records of births, marriages and deaths, religious practices, work, civil incapacity of slaves etc.


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