No Longer Yours:
Aspects of Slavery and Freedom Seeking in North Carolina

Absconding-Laws pertaining to Running Away

Very early in the colonial period of North Carolina, laws were established to prevent slaves from running away. Many of the early laws pertaining to running away focused on preventing whites from helping runaways. Aiding a runaway came with a heavy fine plus incurred damages. For instance, it was illegal for captains of vessels to take a slave out of the state without permission.

During the antebellum period from 1825 to 1833, several laws were passed. One of the laws made aiding an escaped slave a felony, which was punishable by death. “This was no doubt aimed at Northern men bent on working the Underground Railway. For ordinary cases of persuading slaves to run away or for harboring runaways one should on conviction pay the owner of the slave a fine of $100 and damages and be liable to fine of $100 more, and might furthermore be indicted and fined another $100 and imprisoned not more than six months.” The presence of these laws demonstrate the presence of white help.


 

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