CHAPTER III

+Enslavement by the French+

Legality 63–65 Never authorized by law in early colonial period 63 Home government not interested 63 Indirect royal action in eighteenth century 63 Authorized by colonial authorities 63

## Action of Company of the Indies, 1720 64

Recognition by Governor-General Hocquart, 1736 64

## Action of royal council, 1745 64

Public opinion 65 Not concerned with the subject 65 Knowledge of slavery vague 65 Countenanced slavery as an institution 65 No leader like Las Casas to create sentiment against slavery 65 Attitude of the missionaries 65–67 Processes of enslavement 67 War 67–73 Natchez War 67–68 Minor wars 69 With the Fox Indians 69 With the Chickasaw 69 Urging allies to war and taking captives 69–70 Requiring conquered tribes to go to war and take captives 70–71 Kidnapping 71–73 Trade 73–79 Indian slaves an object of trade 74 Part played by “coureurs de bois” 75–77 Attempt to check action of “coureurs de bois” 77 Opposition to it not strong 78 Attitude of Jesuits 78–79 Gifts: made to the explorers 79–81 Birth: throughout history children of slaves generally regarded as slaves 82 Employment of slaves 82–86 Among the explorers 82 Guides 82 Interpreters 82 Among the colonists 83–86 Interpreters 83 Domestic servants 83 Mistresses 83 Agricultural laborers 83–84 Laborers on fortifications 84 Menial camp laborers 84 Objects of bribe to win friendship of tribes 84–86 Recognition as property 86 Tax law of 1728 86 Treatment of slaves 86–90 Slavery was of mild nature 86 Social distinction between slave and owner was less marked than in case of English and Indian slaves 87 Instance of “coureurs de bois” 87 Religious training 87–88 Relation to ceremonies and sacraments of the Church 88–90 Extent of Indian slavery 90–94 In Louisiana 90–91 In Natchitoches 91 In north Mississippi Valley 92 In Detroit 92–93 Manumission 93–95 Verbal manumission 94 Law of 1735 required manumission by notarial deed 94 Law of 1721 freed children of slave mothers and free fathers 95 Causes of end of Indian slavery 96–102 Indians not adapted to slavery 96 Decrease in number of Indians 96 Removal of tribes from neighborhood of whites 96 Law of 1693 forbade trade in Indians 96 Law of 1736 repeated the order 97 General unsatisfactoriness of the institution 97–99 Growth of indenture system 99 Growth of negro slavery 100–102

## PART II

THE INSTITUTION AS PRACTICED BY THE ENGLISH

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