Talk:Slave patrol

Untitled
How can we improve this page?AEsquibel23 (talk) 21:39, 4 October 2014 (UTC)
 * expand on how slave owners negotiated slave codes with their slaves. — Preceding unsigned comment added by CaityJanelle (talk • contribs) 18:17, 31 October 2014

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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

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)

'''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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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

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)

'''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)

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)

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)

I heard from a friend that some slave patrols evolved into police departments. Please address - in a new section or under diminishing use. Dorothea1927 (talk) 14:03, 30 May 2020 (UTC)

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)

Working Article Citation
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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. 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.

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." 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
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.

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. 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.

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

Author and cited work have been discredited by peers
Large portions of this article are backed by footnotes that lead to a book that has been discredited and an author who was discredited.

Bellesiles, Michael. Lethal Imagination: Violence and Brutality in American History. NYU Press; Edition Unstated edition (March 1, 1999). Print.

http://www.emory.edu/news/Releases/Final_Report.pdf

https://www.insidehighered.com/views/mclemee/mclemee290

http://historynewsnetwork.org/article/930

The text backed by this book should be removed until they can be verified from another source. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.182.46.170 (talk) 13:48, 5 October 2015 (UTC)

Connection to modern day law enforcement?
Progressive activism in the year 2020 posits that some modern day law enforcement agencies in the eastern and southern U.S. evolved from slave patrol details, one example here, also here. - knoodelhed (talk) 09:06, 6 August 2020 (UTC)

Wikipedia isn't interested in people knowing that.

Origins of slave patrols
A glaring omission from this article is any examination of the origin of slave patrols; they simply spring into existence in the early 1700s, a date almost certainly too late.

If we accept the work of reputable historians, slave patrols, and the laws about runaway slaves, arose from the existing patrols hunting and laws regarding runaway indentured servants, which date back to the 1600s in the American colonies. Given that most indentured servants in the American colonies died from overwork, abuse, and disease before completing their term of indenture (a sad fact commonly accepted by historians expert in the era), there was a powerful incentive for indentured workers to flee, and for their "masters" to pay "runaway patrols" to capture and return them (to an extended period of indenture, often after whipping and/or other punishment). As slavery was introduced into the colonies, runaway slaves were brought under the same laws and practices, and the patrols hunted both runaway servants and slaves. Eventually, slavery supplanted indentured servanthood (mostly for economic reasons), but the "runaway" laws and patrols persisted.

See, for example, https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/servant-and-slave-patrols-in-virginia/ 71.59.172.139 (talk) 21:38, 16 July 2023 (UTC)

Foundational errors in fact, orginal research, unreliable sources and historical incongruities
In the lead section, it is asserted, without citation, that "Slave patrols were first established in South Carolina in 1704 and the idea spread throughout the colonies". In fact, it was only the southern colonies and later the southern States that adopted slave patrols, and cross border enforcement of slave codes and refugee slave extradition with free States that outlawed slavery was a legendary poolitical clash that led up to one of the most notorious acts of the US Supreme Court. Additionally, South Carolina did not exist until 1710. This sentence should be removed.

The second section begins with a lengthy synthesis of historical context with only one unreliable citation (see below) and clearly violates WP:NOR. The citation is from Bellesiles, 1999, which has been documented as an unreliable, falsfied and ahistorical work. See links velow in section "Author and cited work have been discredited by peers".The second section needs to be rewritten with proper citations and attributions, and all references to Bellesisle's book should be removed from this article, or contextualized in light of his faulty scholarship.

The section entitled "State militias as patrollers" is similarly plagued, notably by the assertion that The Citadel and VMI military academys were formed "were founded to provide a military command structure and discipline within the slave patrols and to detect, encounter, and crush any organized slave meetings". Not only is this untrue, it is also not supported by the citation (Loewen, 2013).

In addition, James Loewen is a pop sociology and history author whose claims have been long regarded as openly and deliberately biased to support his contrarian stances against academic orthodoxy. While he has never been censured for malpractices on the level of Bellesiles, any citations of his works should not be used as a representation of the historical record without supporting citations.

Tellingly, internet search results for the unsopported assertions and original research I point out here, lead with this article and do not bring up any corrabating search results from other sources, making it highly probable that this original research is not based in fact as well as violating WP:NOR.

This pattern continues throughout the article and to save time and energy, it should probably be scrapped and rewritten out of whole cloth, with properly attributed citations to reliable sources and the historical record 74.104.130.145 (talk) 18:21, 2 April 2024 (UTC)